But in many such cases, where people have fallen prey to dug-up roads, open manholes and cave-ins at various AMC worksites, which did not give vent to public ire, the authorities have kept mum. They have passed the burden of responsibility to the contractors of such incidents and ‘served notices’ as punishment.

Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) records show that the Vishant accident apart, at least four instances have occurred in the past two-and-a-half-months when the citizens of Ahmedabad have suffered either a fall in dug-up roads or have perished in cave-ins at various sites or in open manholes.

Apparently, neither any AMC official has been held responsible, nor the victims have been awarded compensation.

On being asked about the details of compensation paid by the AMC to the victims of such incidents, Manish Kodekar, Senior Legal Assistant, Legal Department, AMC, said: “Giving compensation to the victims does not fall under the AMC’s purview. But the Municipal Commissioner or the Standing Committee can decide on it in special cases.”

Kodekar denied having any knowledge of such compensation being paid by the AMC in the recent past.

On his part, Standing Committee Chairman Asit Vora raised his hands off the responsibility of awarding any compensation to the victims.

He said: “The AMC doesn’t award compensation to anyone as it is the contractor who is responsible for any mishap at the site. We make the contractor pay the compensation to the victim or his/her family.”

Off-hand, Vora only remembered one instance around six months ago when the AMC had got the contractor to pay Rs 1.5 lakh to the family of a boy who had died in a mishap in the Khokhra area.

On being asked about the steps the AMC takes against the errant contractors, on whether they are blacklisted, he said: “No, we issue them a notice. The contractor can only be blacklisted if he/she does not complete the work as desired.”

Vora also did not elaborate on the kind of precautionary measures the AMC takes to prevent the mishaps from occurring. “We are taking steps like barricading the worksite so that people do not fall in it.”

Past Instances

* September 16, 2008:
A man falls inside a drainage line dug up by the AMC in the Guptanagar locality of Vasna area. His body is recovered only a few days ago from the Pirana Pumping Station.

* November 9, 2008
A labourer dies at an under-construction site of the AMC near Kankaria Juna Dhor Bazaar following a cave-in.

* December 6, 2008
A man falls into a pit dug up by the AMC near Rajasthan Hospital in the Shahibaug area, but fortunately escapes with only minor injuries.

* December 19, 2008
Seven-year-old Vishant Prajapati falls into an open manhole in Thakkar Bapa Nagar of Naroda area. Till date, an AFES operation is on to recover his body.