The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has taken strict action following a tragic incident last week, suspending an engineer and initiating the blacklisting of a contractor after a resident died from falling into an open manhole.
Details of the Manjalpur Tragedy
The victim, identified as 43-year-old Vipulsinh Zala, a resident of Manjalpur, met with a fatal accident on Friday night. According to officials, Zala had gone to the area near the Manjalpur water tank for dinner with relatives. After dropping them near a food cart, he proceeded to park his car across the road.
When he did not return for a considerable time, his concerned family launched a search. The search ended tragically when he was discovered to have fallen into an open manhole. He was pulled out and rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Immediate Action and Suspensions
Following a preliminary inquiry into the incident, the civic body found prima facie evidence of negligence. On Monday, the VMC suspended Additional Assistant Engineer (AAE) Atul Bhalgamiya in connection with the case.
Furthermore, the corporation has issued a notice to Deputy Executive Engineer Harikrishna Manani. In an official press release, the VMC reiterated that mandatory safety protocols, including proper barricading of work sites and road closures during maintenance, must be strictly enforced without fail.
Contractor Blacklisted and Police Complaint Filed
The VMC has also initiated the process to blacklist the contractor involved, Eco Facility Management. The firm was engaged in cleaning the Manjalpur water tank. Officials revealed that water from the tank was being discharged into the very manhole where Zala fell.
This has raised strong suspicions that the manhole cover was either left open or was not secured properly after the work. Taking the matter further, the VMC has lodged a formal police complaint against the contractor. A detailed investigation into the entire incident is currently underway.
The unfortunate death of Vipulsinh Zala has once again highlighted the critical lapses in basic civic safety measures in public spaces, prompting the administration to take swift disciplinary action.
