BBMP leaves drain open, biker falls in and dies

BBMP leaves drain open, biker falls in and dies
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: The BBMP’s negligence has cost a two-wheeler rider his life. Palike workers left a storm water drain in Fraser Town open after cleaning plastic waste from it on Thursday.
Venkateshwaralu, 60, employee of a security agency in Banaswadi, fell into the drain when it was raining. While the motorcycle was washed 50 metres away from where he fell, Venkateshwaralu’s body was found stuck in a grill in the drain 200 metres away.
The incident is suspected to have taken place around 8 pm when the deceased was returning home. Venkateshwaralu lived in Ulsoor. Police said he was in a hurry to get home as his wife was unwell.
Around 20 metres from the traffic police station in Cox Town, BBMP workers had removed slabs for cleaning a storm water drain. However, since it was not closed, the drain looked like an extension of the road. And rain had reduced visibility.
There was water flowing out of the drain and Venkateshwaralu probably turned his motorcycle thinking it was a short cut, police said. A passerby saw him fall in and informed a constable, but the two could not locate the exact spot where he fell. After a search for over an hour, the police gave up.
On Friday morning, the motorcycle showed up in the drain near the police quarters. Police noticed there was a wire mesh across the drain near St Aloysisus School. They sought help of people living in a nearby slum and fished out the body that was stuck under plastic.
POLICE UNHAPPY WITH PALIKE
The police are upset with BBMP officials for their laxity. “We informed them about the incident and asked them to send some men. But nobody turned up and the locals helped us fish out the body. Till evening, BBMP did not even make an effort to replace the slabs,” said a police officer. When contacted, a BBMP official casually said it must have been a drunkard. Jurisdictional ACP B B Ashok Kumar will now write to the BBMP asking the agency to close all such openings in the area. “Monsoon has begun and there can be more such accidents,” he said.