Dombivli: 60-Year-Old Man Dies After Falling into Open Manhole; Family Blames MIDC for Mishap

A 60-year-old pedestrian died after falling into an open water valve chamber in Dombivli on Sunday. The deceased has been identified as Babu Dharmu Chavan, a labourer and resident of Pisavli village in Dombivli. He lived with his three sons and other family members.The enraged residents held the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) responsible for the incident, claiming that no action was taken by the authority despite multiple complaints about open manholes in the area.

According to reports,  Babu Dharma Chavan, was walking on the Kalyan-Shil road, slipped, and fell into an open manhole. The deceased’s son, Pravin Chavan, said, “I received a call from a passerby informing us about the incident. I rushed to the spot, pulled my father out of the manhole, cleaned him up, and took him to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. There was water and mud on the road near the manhole. He must have slipped. This is a case of negligence by the officials.”

The residents of Dombivli gathered outside the hospital on Sunday evening and protested, demanding justice. They claimed that despite multiple complaints and follow-ups regarding open manholes in the area for a long time, no action was taken by the authorities. The family of the deceased said that they would not accept the body until action was taken. “Today we lost our father. We don’t want another family to suffer the same fate. We want justice,” said the deceased’s sons, Pravin and Kashinath. Former Deputy Mayor of Kalyan-Dombivli and BJP leader Moreshwar Bhoir held the MIDC responsible and demanded that a case of culpable homicide be registered against the authority. “This isn’t just an accident. The MIDC’s negligence has cost a life,” Bhoir said.

Sandeepan Shinde, Senior Police Inspector of Manpada Police Station, said, "We rushed to the hospital after receiving information that the family had refused to claim the body. We assured them that a proper inquiry would be conducted. If anyone is found guilty, action will be taken."Meanwhile, MIDC officials stated that someone may have tampered with the chamber cover. "The valve man usually opens the valve for water supply in the morning and evening. We are also conducting an internal investigation into the matter," said an MIDC official.