Allahabad HC Initiates Suo Motu PIL On Open Manholes & Ducts In Lucknow, Takes Note Of 8 Y/O Child's Death

The incident was brought to the note of a bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Om Prakash Shukla by a practising Advocate, Adarsh Mehrotra, who placed before the Court, a news item published in the Times of India newspaper with the heading - "8-Yr-old boy falls into a manhole, dies".

The Court noted that the news item mentioned that the boy victim, curious about the open manhole, slipped into it and ultimately died.

Advocate Mehrotra also submitted that, in fact, according to a separate news item published in the same newspaper, various manholes and ducts are lying open across the city, leaving the possibility of similar incidents occurring in the future.

Advocate Mehrotra further highlighted the Municipal Corporation's failure to ensure the proper coverage of manholes, which led to the tragic incident. He requested the court's intervention and urged the bench to initiate a Suo Motu PIL to address the matter effectively under the court's supervision.

Against this backdrop, the Court directed the registration of a suo moto PIL, deeming it to be an important matter involving the public's interest and requiring the attention of the municipal corporation.

The Court has sought to know the correct facts as to how such an incident occurred and whether there is any lapse on the part of the Municipal Authorities; whether there are other manholes or ducts in the city which are lying open, if so, what steps are being taken in this regard by the Municipal Authorities so that life and well-being of residents of this city is not endangered on account of negligence and non-performance of statutory obligation by the Municipal Corporation its officers and employees.

The Municipal Corporation of Lucknow, through its commissioner, and Lucknow Development Authority, through its Vice-Chairman, have been arrayed as opposite parties in the said proceedings. The matter has been directed to be placed before the appropriate Bench on Tuesday, i.e. 30th April, 2024.

Case title – Suo-Motu Inre: Open Manholes and Ducts within the municipal limits of Lucknow posing a danger to life of the residents

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