The Bombay High Court on Monday sharply criticised the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for persistent road deterioration and unsafe manhole conditions across Mumbai. Citing that similar judicial directions have been issued for about two decades, the bench said citizens continue to face potholes and bumpy roads every monsoon despite repeated court intervention. Judges remarked that the problem has not been permanently resolved since earlier orders, and urged BMC to adopt more scientific road-construction standards used in other cities to ensure smoother travel.
The court also focused on manhole safety. It noted that protective grills have not yet been installed beneath more than 3,000 manhole covers, and pressed BMC to address the risk of deaths rather than rely on explanations about budgets or compliance. The judges sought clarification about a viral incident involving a BMC officer who appeared to fall into an open manhole during a mayoral inspection; the civic body said the officer stepped into a water pumping station.
Separately, the court reprimanded the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) for delaying payment of Rs 6 lakh compensation to a doctor’s family after his death following a manhole incident, and directed the matter to be heard again on July 6.
