Mumbai: After the death of Aslam Sheikh in a manhole at Mumbai’s Sakinaka, the BMC has now gone on alert mode and has set up a helpline and a WhatsApp chatbot for grievance redressal to avoid such incidents. The Municipal Corporation (BMC) has provided a more robust and transparent grievance redressal system to facilitate quick registration and prompt resolution of grievances. Citizens can easily register complaints regarding open, broken or missing manhole covers, drain cover issues and other civic grievances through various digital channels.

To ensure quick resolution of complaints related to open, broken or missing manhole covers, the corporation has introduced a dedicated WhatsApp chatbot (9324500600). To use this facility, citizens need to initiate a conversation by sending a message to the designated WhatsApp number. After that, they need to select the “Submit Complaint” option, share the location of the incident, and upload a picture of the issue. On successful registration, the citizen will receive a complaint registration number for future follow-up.

Register complaints through ‘My BMC Marg’
Citizens should first open the ‘My BMC Marg’ app and log in using their mobile number and OTP. After that, they should select the ‘New Registration’ option and select the complaint type. If required, a brief description of the issue should be provided. Users should upload a current photo of the location or take a geo-tagged photo and upload it. After submitting the complaint, the citizen receives a complaint registration number for future follow-up. *Complaint registration through other channels
Apart from the ‘MyBMC Marg’ app and the dedicated manhole chatbot, citizens can also register complaints through the municipal corporation’s WhatsApp chatbot (8999228999), official website, and 1916 helpline. Complaints can be registered by sending the location and a photo of the issue to the WhatsApp chatbot (8999228999). To report potholes, one can send a message with the keyword “Do it” (or “Said”) and for complaints related to manhole covers, the keyword “Manhole” (or “Manhole”) (or “Manhole”) (or “Manhole”).

Citizens can also file complaints through the municipal corporation’s website (portal.mcgm.gov.in) by visiting the options: ‘Citizens File Complaints All’.

Additionally, complaints can be filed by calling the 1916 helpline and providing the necessary details.
In cases where a photo is required, citizens are sent a link to upload or capture a geo-tagged photo. The Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) appeals to citizens to report incidents of open, broken, or missing manholes, as well as other dangerous civic issues, using the available complaint channels. Citizens are encouraged to use the ‘MyBMC Marg’ mobile application or WhatsApp chatbot (8999228999) for quick registration and effective follow-up of complaints. The corporation has also specifically appealed to citizens to use the dedicated WhatsApp chatbot (9324500600) for complaints of open, broken, or missing manholes.

Local MLA of Mumbai Saki Naka tragedy provides immediate relief in time of need. MLA Dilip (Mama) Lande’s efforts led to government financial assistance for two families affected by heavy rain-related tragedies in Chandivali. Following the persistent advocacy of MLA Dilip (Mama) Lande, the Maharashtra government has approved a financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of citizens who lost their lives in two unfortunate incidents due to heavy rains in Chandivali assembly constituency. On July 2, Aslam Sheikh (age 54) tragically lost his life after falling into a manhole covered by rainwater accumulated on Khairani Road, Saki Naka. As per the government’s decision, a cheque of Rs 4 lakh was handed over to his wife Anjum Aslam Sheikh. Furthermore, on July 4, a youth named Hassan Jahangir Alam Sayyad (18 years) tragically died after a tree branch fell on him in Aarey Colony area. An assistance of Rs 4 lakh was also approved by the government for his family. MLA Dilip (Mama) Lande personally visited the houses of the affected families to hand over the cheques and assured them that the government stands by them in this difficult time. MLA Dilip (Mama) Lande shares equally in the joy and sorrow of the people and ensures that those in distress get justice and immediate help. Former corporator Shiv Sena leader Wajid Qureshi was also present on the occasion.

Mumbai, July 11: Amid a series of earthquakes in the Marathwada region, Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Maharashtra government, accusing it of prioritising publicity exercises in Mumbai while ignoring growing seismic concerns in parts of the state.

The criticism came through an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana, which alleged administrative apathy towards repeated tremors reported in Hingoli, Parbhani and Nanded districts.

The Thackeray camp contrasted the government’s high-decibel public relations exercise during the Mumbai rains with its complete silence on the seismic threats looming over rural Maharashtra. “Mr. Show-Off, do you even understand? An earthquake has hit Marathwada!” the editorial taunted, aiming squarely at the Chief Minister and his Disaster Management Minister.

The editorial heavily criticised the ruling dispensation for prioritizing media spotlight over genuine crisis management. It claimed that while heavy rains lashed Mumbai, the Disaster Management Minister and the Chief Minister rushed to the emergency war room solely for a “photo-op” and a “public relations show”.

In stark contrast, the administration remains “completely unfazed and indifferent” to the tremors gripping Marathwada, where four consecutive tremors rattled Hingoli, Parbhani, and Nanded districts in the early hours of Thursday, July 9, it said.

The editorial noted that the tremors were powerful enough to be felt across a massive geographic expanse stretching 200 to 300 km — reaching as far as Bidar in Karnataka, and Adilabad and Nizamabad in Telangana. For the people of Marathwada, the ground shaking is not a minor event — it is a deeply traumatizing trigger.

The Thackeray camp pointed out that the region has still not healed from the horrific wounds of the catastrophic September 30, 1993, Latur-Killari earthquake, which wiped out an entire generation and stands as one of the worst seismic disasters in independent India’s history.

The editorial also highlighted a grim, symbolic collapse following the latest tremors. Shortly after the ground shook on July 9, a bridge on the National Highway in Nanded’s Vishnupuri area collapsed. It noted that the bridge had been built on a “foundation of sheer corruption,” exposing how the “ruthless human hand” of the current administration is compounding the wrath of nature.

Drawing a sharp line between political theater and real-world disaster, the editorial delivered a scathing commentary on the state’s political climate. “The public wasn’t shocked at all when Shiv Sena MPs from Parbhani, Hingoli, and Dharashiv allegedly sold themselves out for Rs 50 crore each — political betrayal has ceased to surprise anyone. However, the shock of subterranean lava fracturing the earth, destroying homes, and bulldozing human lives is entirely different. While the July 9 tremors may seem mild today, they are a stark warning of tomorrow’s catastrophe,’’ it remarked.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena warned that the geographical and geological reality of Maharashtra is shifting dangerously. Regions that were once classified as stable, non-seismic zones have now transitioned into highly earthquake-prone areas. Tectonic activity is rapidly escalating not just in Marathwada and Vidarbha, but also in Western Maharashtra’s Koyna region, and across a 300 km radius, covering Thane, Shahapur, and Palghar.

Blaming the “Fadnavis-led government” for letting the state’s disaster management system lie completely dormant, the editorial concluded with a fierce warning, ‘’No one knows what lies hidden in the womb of the earth or what the future holds. However, the continuous chain of earthquakes in Marathwada should serve as a massive wake-up call for the government and the administration to shake off their complacency before the destruction occurs.”