HYDRAA Admits Its Fault on Open Manhole

Hyderabad: HYDRAA accepted responsibility for the incident in which a five-year-old girl fell into a manhole at Rein Bazaar in Yakutpura on Thursday. After an internal inquiry, HYDRAA officials confirmed their fault and removed two workers.

Commissioner A.V. Ranganath said on Friday, “Prima facie, HYDRAA is responsible for the incident. The person in charge of the team will be held accountable.” He added that responsibility would be fixed and that stringent action taken against those at fault.

Following inquiries, the agency demoted two Disaster Response Force (DRF) supervisors, while two Monsoon Emergency Team (MET) members engaged by the contractor were dismissed.

The incident occurred when the girl fell into an open manhole whose cover had been set aside. She was immediately rescued by her mother and escaped without injuries. Initially, GHMC, HYDRAA, and HMWS&SB tried to shift the blame onto one another.

Taking the matter seriously, Commissioner Ranganath held a meeting with all DRF and MET staff on Friday. He issued strict instructions to officials to ensure that manhole covers remain properly closed across the city at all times.