MUMBAI: Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde’s on-ground inspection of severe waterlogging in King Circle’s Gandhi Market area on Wednesday morning witnessed high drama when a BMC staffer fell waist-deep into an open drain a few feet away from where she was standing. While he was immediately pulled out and was unharmed, the mayor lost her cool. A furious Tawde reprimanded the civic officials present at the site, and threatened to suspend ward officers if manholes and water channels connected to the city’s stormwater drainage network are left open in their areas.Tawde, who reviewed BMC’s pumping systems at the low-lying and chronic flooding spot after overnight heavy rainfall, said the grille over the water channel had been removed during a drain-cleaning operation and barricades had been placed at the site. “The man should have read the ‘alert’ signs and seen the barricades put around it,” she said, as she continued her tour of areas affected by waterlogging.A viral video of the incident shows the mukadam (supervisor) from BMC’s F-North ward, who was part of the civic team accompanying the mayor, stepping onto the road and falling into the rainwater-filled drain even as people around him came to the rescue. He did not suffer any injuries. The civic team apologised to the mayor.The incident sparked immediate political backlash with Congress city president and MP Varsha Gaikwad taking a sharp dig at the mayor. “That man has fallen into the pothole of your inaction and corruption. This is not an accident, but your corruption has been caught red-handed,” she said.Taking a swipe at BJP, Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator and Opposition leader in the BMC Kishori Pednekar, who visited the site in the evening, said that if the ruling party is alleging poor work by the Opposition, it should now focus on improving ground conditions to prevent flooding in the city. “On the ground they are asking us to come and work, and right here, a staffer has fallen. First, take action against the administration for such lapses. When we were in power, we took several steps and actions,” Pednekar said.In 2022, BMC, then led by the Sena (UBT) had commissioned an underground mini pumping station at Gandhi Market, a low-lying, flood-prone pocket, which became operational this monsoon. The system channels excess rainwater into an underground inlet chamber before pumping it out via a stormwater drain line to Bharat Nagar nullah near King’s Circle. The project, executed at a cost of Rs 19 crore, includes operational expenses spread over four years.Social media was abuzz with comments about the incident. In his post on X, Anish Gawande, national spokesperson of NCP (SP), said: “The only thing Mumbai Mayor @TawdeRitu seems to be doing is “inspecting” crumbling projects. First, the Mrinal Tai Gore Flyover. Now, manholes that give way at the first sight of rains. Where exactly is accountability supposed to begin?”“Mumbai Mayor was inspecting monsoon preparedness. A sanitation worker fell into an open manhole right next to her and gave a live demo,” read a post by the handle @PunsterXAnother handle @ShabrinZeenat, who is state president, Mumbai Pradesh Youth Congress, posted on X: “Instant fact check of lies by the BJP Mayor in Mumbai and their governance. Mayor was trying to give an impression that everything is fine and a person fell into a hole at the same time behind her.”In its response, the Mumbai Mayor’s office said the situation was under control and that the staffer was rescued immediately after the fall.
