Kozhikode: The continued presence of open drains across the city has now triggered suspicions that are these uncovered death traps being left open by design?

Once again, the city was shaken by tragedy when 42-year-old Shamseer, a native of Kalloottivayal in Thadambattuthazham, lost his life after falling into an open drainage near the Vengeri Agricultural Wholesale Market. The drain, long lying neglected without a cover, claimed another life in plain sight.

Just two months ago, on March 16, another man, Kalathumpoyil Sasi, met a similar fate. He fell into an open drain in Mora Bazar on the Kovoor MLA Road during a night of heavy rain. His body was recovered the following morning about 1.5 kilometres away from a spot near the Palazhi Iqra Community Clinic.

But these have not been isolated tragedies. Kozhikode’s open drains have long been silent killers. Among the many lives lost are that of Divakaran, a police officer who fell into an open drain on Mavoor Road; Ayishabi of Kinassery, who died in May 2013 after falling into a drain near the railway station premises; Saseendran of Manamkulangara, who lost his life in July 2016 after plunging into an open canal near Manari Junction; and Puthiyambath Saheesan, a cook, who died in 2017 after falling into a drain at Karimbanthazham on Kottuli’s T K Gopalan Road.

In Ayishabi’s case, her body was found from the western end of the canal that drains into the sea.

One of the most horrific accidents involving the drainage network of Kozhikode city occurred in November 2015, when two migrant workers from Andhra Pradesh died after entering a manhole of an under-construction drainage line to clean it. An autorickshaw driver, M Noushad from Meppakkudy in Malikakkadavu, tried to rescue them and also lost his life. The manhole, which had not been opened for over two years, was filled with poisonous gas. The deceased were identified as Bommidi Bhaskara Rao from West Godavari and Narasimhamurthy from East Godavari, besides Noushad.

All these victims are tragic reminders of the corporation’s enduring apathy and Despite repeated fatalities, countless drains across Kozhikode remain uncovered. Many others have sustained severe injuries and several families have been left orphaned by these preventable deaths.It is shocking that despite so many deaths and accidents, civic authorities remain indifferent. 

No safety, no precaution
Despite the mounting death toll, authorities have failed to take corrective measures. Basic precautions, such as placing concrete slab covers or guardrails over open drains, continue to be neglected. The city is still vulnerable to yet another manhole tragedy anytime.

Alarmingly, most sanitation workers who enter these dangerous spaces are untrained and unequipped. They work without protective gear, with no oxygen monitoring and with zero safety protocols. The real danger inside manholes often stems from toxic gases like hydrogen sulphide and yet no tests are done before sending workers into such confined spaces.

Even though equipment to check oxygen and hydrogen sulphide levels costs less than ₹1,000, nobody appears willing to invest. Personal protective gear, including breathing apparatus, is essential in many of these locations, but is absent.