A 60-year-old man died on 2 July after falling into an open manhole in Mumbai during rainfall, triggering sharp political backlash against the Maharashtra ruling coalition Mahayuti, with opposition leaders accusing the state government of chronic negligence and evasion of accountability. The incident has reignited scrutiny of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and its oversight of civic works during the monsoon season.

What Happened

The victim, aged 60, fell into an uncovered manhole that was reportedly part of an ongoing construction site in Mumbai. According to opposition leaders, no barricades or warning signs had been placed around the open manhole despite active work being underway. The incident occurred amid monsoon rainfall, compounding visibility and safety risks for pedestrians.

Separately, an 11-year-old student lost his life on Tuesday after a large tree collapsed onto his school bus in Mumbai's Chembur area — a tragedy that opposition leaders linked to the same pattern of civic neglect.

Opposition Demands Action

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Mayor Kishori Pednekar said the site lacked basic safety measures. 'Some work was underway... it was necessary to put up a barricade or for someone to stand here; they didn't do anything,' she said. She added: 'There is no control (of the government) over anything. It has been left to the contractor on how the work is being done.'

Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar called for criminal action beyond administrative penalties. 'It was important to cover the manhole or at least put a barricade before the monsoon. A person has died... just suspension won't help, FIR should be lodged against the officers concerned of the (Municipal) Corporation,' he said. Wadettiwar also alleged the manhole work was being carried out 'without tender, that too in the rainy season.'

Congress MLA Nana Patole linked the manhole fatality to the earlier tree-collapse tragedy, accusing the government of deflecting responsibility on both counts. 'Today a manhole was left open, and a person died due to that. This government isn't ready to take responsibility,' Patole said.

Ruling Coalition Responds

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Satam acknowledged the incident and said an investigation was underway. 'Manholes must have covers on them. Work cannot be done with negligence; otherwise someone's life could be lost,' he told reporters, adding that the Mayor and officials were looking into both incidents.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Sunil Tatkare urged collective responsibility, saying: 'Everyone should think and work together to ensure that such accidents do not happen again.'

Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora took a different tack, alleging that the BMC had suffered from misappropriation of funds 'for many decades' and arguing that the state government had begun corrective steps after the Assembly elections. 'There had been no accountability in the BMC, but after the Assembly polls, the state government has taken many steps towards improving its functioning,' he said.

Broader Pattern of Civic Failures

This is not the first time Mumbai's monsoon preparedness has come under fire. The BMC, one of India's wealthiest municipal bodies by budget, faces recurring criticism each year over waterlogging, fallen trees, and unsafe construction sites. Critics argue that the sheer scale of civic contracts — many running without adequate supervision — creates structural conditions for such tragedies. The back-to-back deaths within days of each other have amplified calls for systemic reform rather than isolated suspensions.

With the monsoon season still in its early weeks, pressure is mounting on both the BMC and the state government to demonstrate concrete action before further fatalities occur.