Manholes bigger risk than potholes

Mumbai: Now that the monsoon has arrived in the city, people are at a graver risk than that posed by potholes: open manholes.      Several manhole covers across the city have gone missing or have caved in. In Andheri, TOI found three manholes that are accidents in the waiting. A drain lid right next to Infinity Mall on Andheri Link Road caved in a few days ago. Residents say that if it is not replaced in time, it could result in fatal mishaps. "It is right at the junction of the link road and P Tandon Marg. There is constant vehicular movement here and an accident is inevitable," said S Divedi, a resident.      To make matters worse, the junction is low lying and is often covered with water in the monsoon, thus making it impossible to see the road surface. A few blocks ahead, TOI found a manhole with a loosely fitted cover and another with the cover missing. The open manhole, which is 10-ftdeep and is opposite Fame Adlabs, poses a danger to anyone walking on the pavement.  UNTIMELY DEATHS  April 1, 2012 | Ranjeet Gupta, a resident of Ganesh Nagar slum near Kama Estate, Goregaon (East), dies after falling into an open manhole  Feb 5, 2011 | Ashok Motwani files a compliant of negligence against theBMC at the Versova police station after he falls into an open manhole and sustains leg injuries  Jan 5 | M Pattamal Naidu, a resident of Nityanand Nagar, Wadala, is on her way to a dairy around 6.30 am, when she falls into a pit and dies  Nov 8, 2010| Tushar Shailesh Jadhav (11), dies after falling into a 30-ft-deep manhole in Mariamma Nagar, Worli, while flying a kite  Dec 15, 2009 | Rushikesh Ajay Gupta, a resident of Balaji Darshan Apartments, Golden Nest Area, Mira Road, falls into a manhole and diesInputs by Amit Banerjee