Dangerous open pits causingmishaps, escape MC’s notice

With the municipal corporation (MC) turning a blind eye to pits and trenches dug up by telecom companies, mishaps continue in various areas of the city.

On Monday, 10-year-old Subhash fell into one such pit near Chand Cinema, which was not evident due to waterlogging after the downpour. The boy suffered multiple injuries, thanks to MC’s indifference.

“As my son reached near Chand Cinema, he fell into a four-foot-deep pit that was dug up by a telecom company around two months ago. As water got accumulated on the road, the pit was not visible. Luckily, some passersby saw him falling and came to his rescue, preventing a major tragedy,” said Umesh Kumar, Subhash’s father.

Commuters also often become victims of such pits, which were not filled up after installation of wires by telecom companies. Earlier, pits near Jalandhar bypass were causing mishaps, but were filled up after several reports published in HT.

However, similar pits can still be seen near Chand Cinema, Urban Estate, Sarabha Nagar, old city and outer areas where thousands of commuters daily pass through these roads.

According to sources, the telecom companies often don’t take permission to dig up roads and cause damage to public property.

Amit Kumar, a resident of Urban Estate, said, “Few pits have been dug up in our area to install wires. But, despite the pits being a constant threat to commuters’ lives, MC officials only act after a major mishap.”

Meanwhile, RTI activist Arvind Sharma claimed that the MC officials should be held responsible for these open pits, as it was the responsibility of the civic body to check such violations.

When contacted, MC’s additional commissioner Ghanshyam Thori said he would conduct a check in these areas and required action would be taken to close the pits.

Thori claimed that the telecom companies were installing wires with permission, adding that if they violated any rules, appropriate action would be taken.