Mumbai: Manholes to raise a stink during thefts

In response to the increasing number of thefts of manhole covers in the city the civic body has initiated a pilot project where 14 major sewer holes in floodprone areas will be fitted with buzzers that have sensors The devices will raise a sirenlike alarm and alert the solid waste management SWM control room if someone attempts to tamper with a lidAccording to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC officials each buzzer system is estimated to cost between Rs 55000 to Rs 60000 The installation of these 14 systems costs more than Rs 11 lakh in total Following the trial period where the effectiveness of the system will be tested officials will extend coverage to major floodprone areas The buzzer system will be connected to the ward office to ensure monitoring and response are effectiveSafety measureThe BMC is attempting to safeguard the lives of pedestrians by installing safety grills under every manhole cover The grills which are being secured by chains will also serve as a deterrent against theft and unauthorised access So far 1900 grills have been fixed in SWM manholes and 4500 in stormwater drain SWD manholesA grill secured by a chain which helps prevent accidents if manhole covers are stolenHow the system worksThe buzzer will be installed within the sewerage pipeline beneath the grill In the event of a manhole being tampered with or removed the sensor will trigger the buzzer to emit a loud and attentiongrabbing siren similar to that of an ambulance This serves as a powerful deterrent to potential thievesThe buzzer will also send alerts to the control room at the BMC office Upon receiving these alerts BMC officials will swiftly dispatch their team to the location equipped with a replacement manhole cover Simultaneously officials will promptly inform the police to ensure immediate action is takenDue to its positioning underneath the safety grill and its secure installation stealing the buzzer system will prove to be a challenging task Its fixed and concealed placement provides an added layer of protection against theft ldquoThis system will give the location of the manholes whose covers are missing If any lid is stolen it will be replaced with a new one immediatelyrdquo said an officiallsquoCitizens must also be vigilantrsquoA senior BMC official told midday ldquoThe system seems to be working well and we are expecting to cover all 14 major manholes very soon It is going to cost crores of rupees to ensure that the property doesnrsquot get stolen One manhole cover already costs us Rs 8000 to Rs 9000rdquoThe buzzer systemOfficials have also said that it is the responsibility of citizens to be vigilant and prevent the theft of manhole lids ldquoWe are now alerting shopkeepers footpath hawkers activists local corporators and social workers to keep an eye on manholes in their area and prevent theftrdquo the official addedAn official from the SWM department said ldquoThe BMC spends lakhs of rupees every year replacing stolen manhole covers In every area we are informing local corporators activists social workers citizens and shopkeepers to keep a watch on manholes If any thief is found lifting these manholes alert the police and ward officer concerned The local people should be vigilant to save MumbairdquoldquoThe BMCrsquos property is bought with taxes and taxpayersrsquo money should not be wasted due to thefts We are visiting each shop and informing them to keep watch on the manholes We work daily opening 1000 manholes across the city for maintenance work We always accompany vehicles that clean manholesrdquo the officer saidA BMC official said that if anyone finds an individual or a gang lifting a manhole cover inform the local police station and the local ward office ldquoWe have a total of 74682 SWM manholes and around 25000 SWD manholes Our team works 24x7 to inspect manholes If any cover is stolen our team will reach the spot immediately and replace it We also barricade the spot if any lids are stolen Our main aim is to save citizensrsquo lives and after this we register an FIRrdquo explained the officialNew cover designsManhole covers used to be made of cast iron but antisocial elements would steal them and sell them to scrap dealers Now all manholes are made of a combination of cement iron and other metals The manholes on footpaths and at the corners of streets are used to drain rainwater and are connected to the sea and damsA civic official said ldquoWe are planning to use FRP fibrereinforced plastic and stainless steel manhole covers We are finalising the designs and will start installing them soon across the cityrdquo According to an official 80 per cent of manholes are circular while the rest are rectangularAreas identified for pilot projectgtgt BDD Chawl Worli G South wardgtgt Jerbai Wadia Road Parel F South wardgtgt Sewri Cross Road Sewri F South wardgtgt DG Mahajani Marg Sewri F South wardgtgt Trimbak Parshuram Lane Grant Road E wardgtgt MS Ali Road Grant Road C wardgtgt Bhanjibhai Rathod Road Tulsiwadi D wardgtgt Balusheth Madurkar Marg G South wardgtgt Bapurao Parulekar Marg Dadar G North ward1900No of grills fixed in SWM manholes