This 50-Year-Old Woman Stood On A Waterlogged Road Under The Pouring Rain For 5 Hours To Warn Commuters About An Open Manhole. Wow!
I love living in Mumbai. I have always argued that it is the best city in India for a lot of reasons. Although I am not getting into that now or it’ll take up all the space. What I want to get into though, are the major downsides that come with living in a city like Mumbai where everyone seems to be perpetually in a rush to get somewhere. It’s overpopulated, travelling by the local trains is like entering a daredevil contest, there is zero road etiquette and of course, the one problem everyone has been yelling about for a long time- potholes and manholes.
You see, every year there are few days during the monsoon season where Mumbai is well, partly submerged from all the flooding and water-logging. And while that heavy bout of rain is enough to bring the city to its knees, these potholes and open manholes are like dormant landmines. Am I exaggerating? Yes, for effect. Although as per a report in 2019, as many as 356 people died from falling into an open manhole or drowning. So, even without the hyperbole, manholes and potholes on the road have proven to be fatal.
The BMC has yet to find a permanent solution to this problem but until they do, leave it up to the citizens to show immense resilience during these difficult times. This year, the story that has popped up on everyone’s social media feed is about a woman who stood by an open manhole, on a water-logged road, for 5 hours in the pouring rain to warn commuters.
In the video that has gone viral, the 50-year-old woman, Kanta Maruti Kalan, can be seen standing by an open manhole, on Tulsi Pipe Road in Matunga, alerting passerby vehicles of its existence. That huge open manhole was an opportunity for disaster and Kanta prevented that by standing on the road and braving the heavy downpour for 5 hours.
This video is from Tulsi Pipe Road in Matunga West, Mumbai. The lady seen in the video had been standing beside the open manhole for five hours to warn commuters driving on the road.
VC: Bhayander Gudipadva Utsav pic.twitter.com/FadyH175mY
— The Better India (@thebetterindia) August 7, 2020
To say she is a strong woman would be an understatement. Although the question to ask here is, why was there an open manhole in the middle of such a busy road? You see, Kanta was forced to open the manhole because the water level on the road was quickly rising and despite informing the BMC about this, no official came to help her. So, obviously she was forced to open the manhole to let the rainwater drain and then stand on the road for so long to warn people.
After 5-7 hours of her standing there, the civic authorities came and scolded her for putting her life on the line. Well, maybe if they had done their job she wouldn’t have had to brave the storm alone.
Kanta said, “I uncovered the manhole and drained the water. Then I stood there to warn vehicles. BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) officials later came and scolded me.”
Honestly, hats off to this woman. If it weren’t for her, either the whole road would’ve flooded or someone would get into a very serious accident. She persevered and succeeded in the face of great adversity. This is proof that one person with good intentions is all it takes.
Kanta’s story is a heart-breaking one. She is a flower-seller who lost her house, belongings and savings of nearly Rs 10,000 because of the heavy rains and the floods. She is also the mother of eight children and the sole bread-winner for her family. Five of her children are married and she supports the education of the remaining three.
She told ANI, “I support my three children’s education by selling flowers and I am the only earning member in the family as my husband is paralysed after meeting with a railway accident.”
As the video of her went viral, netizens and the Twitterati lauded her for all the selflessness and civic responsibility she showed. She was showered with love and praises but brushed them off by saying, “I just did what felt right to me.” She further added, “Some BMC officials came and asked me the next day why I had opened the manhole. But what could I have done? I had no choice. Floodwater was rising quickly and no one had turned up to help.”
Also Read: This Elderly Woman From Pune Single-Handedly Stopped Bikers From Riding On The Footpath. This Is Proof That One Person Can Make A Difference
Check out some of the reactions Kanta’s video got:
This country is alive because of people doing things out of the sheer goodness of their heart. Things that they shouldn’t really have to do, but end up doing because the powers that be have forsaken those responsibilities.
— yepicurious (@yepicurious) August 7, 2020
https://twitter.com/sourabh40gupta/status/1291708253466849280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1291708253466849280%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scoopwhoop.com%2Fnews%2F50-year-old-woman-stands-in-the-rain-for-hours-to-inform-commuters-about-open-manhole%2F
How can we thank this lady… She could have easily sat at home and let accidents happen on that Manhole.
Responsibility is a virtue that keeps people on toes… My salute to this lady— Anupam (@anupampathak999) August 7, 2020
Responsible citizen. But where are the ones taking salary in the department's related to. Wake up Yaar this is we INDIANS , the great ones on the planet. Act responsibly.
— Et Raja (@EtRaja2) August 8, 2020
Hats off to her efforts 🙏🏽🙏🏽 if not wrong she is trying to avoid water flooding in her roadside hut. Least people could have done is going slow and avoiding splash. Hats off again 🙏🏽🙏🏽
— ज्ञानेश P (@dnyanbapatil) August 6, 2020
🙏🏻♥️🙏🏻 whoever you may be ma’am, Thank you. 🙏🏻♥️🙏🏻 https://t.co/dMv9uHGCV3
— Amyra Dastur (@AmyraDastur93) August 8, 2020
Kanta really deserves a stand ovation for this selfless and thoughtful act. Even though she said that she only did what felt right to her, there aren’t many people who feel right about putting other’s lives before theirs. We are very thankful to her and hope that this video has reached the BMC and other authorities so next time, they can do their jobs.
Kudos to her!
https://thehauterfly.com/lifestyle/these-three-women-from-tamil-nadu-removed-their-sarees-to-help-rescue-drowning-youngsters-from-the-waters-of-the-kottarai-dam-such-a-heroic-save/