Hyderabad: Kid's death leads to strict action on open drainages

Hyderabad: Days after a four-year-old boy was swept away in a drain in front of his house — the apartment watchman and RWA president have been booked —the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) said that stricter measures would be taken to prevent such incidents from recurring.

The board said that criminal cases would be registered on those removing or shifting manhole covers without permission. MD Dana Kishore said that safety grills would be fixed over all manholes in the GHMC limits. The Board said it had covered 22,000 manholes so far.

Emergency teams would inspect the manhole covers, the board said. "We will use advance technology and machines, while working in coordination with GHMC and police officials," the board said.

“Emergency response teams, monsoon safety teams and safety protocal teams have been formed and deployed. Protective equipment has been provided to the staff working at the field level. The vehicles assigned to these teams have a dewatering motor with a generator," the statement read.

A sewerage team headed by a sewer inspector from each section has been formed to monitor the manholes, Kishore said. They would conduct inspections early in the morning.

He said residents could call the HMWS&SB customer care number 155313 or reach out to the nearest local official if they found manhole covers damaged.