Manhole mishap: AMC engineer suspended for negligence

A day after Vishal Prajapati fell into an open manhole dug for the ongoing BRTS work at Krishnanagar in Naroda...

A day after Vishal Prajapati fell into an open manhole dug for the ongoing BRTS work at Krishnanagar in Naroda, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Saturday suspended one of its assistant engineers for negligence.

The AMC has ordered an inquiry into the incident to know the actual reason behind the accident. Municipal Commissioner I P Gautam said: “One of our assistant engineers, Mahesh Patel, was found accused of negligence and has been suspended from his duties.”

Vishal, a Class IV student of Vikas Primary School in Thakkarbaba Nagar, fell into the 20-foot deep open manhole on Friday evening, while returning from the school with his mother. According to the Naroda police, the manhole was covered only with a plastic sheet.

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More than 24 hours after the incident, rescue workers of the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) are yet to find the boy. According to AFES records, three persons have so far died after falling into manholes within a year.

“We are still looking for Vishal in the gutter line through the various manholes. A team has been deputed at the final exit of the gutter line at Pirana,” Additional Chief Fire Officer M F Dastoor said.