Kanta Murti, a flower seller and she lost her house and her savings in the havoc by rains in Mumbai. The mother of eight children, Kanta Murti's husband is an invalid. Five of her children are married and she supports the education of her three other kids by selling flowers on the roadside. "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," she told news agency ANI.
Kanta Murli was forced to open the manhole as the water level was rising quickly and no BMC official came to help.
The video of Kanta Murti standing, near the manhole, for seven hours had gone viral and she was also scolded by the civic authorities for putting her life in danger. "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," Kanta Murti said.
Social Media is applauding Kanta's selfless act
As the video went viral social media came forward and applauded Kanta Murli's sense of responsibility as people were impressed with Kanta's immense compassion in the face of adversity.
As people came asking after her and praising her, she brushed it aside, saying she did what she thought was a normal thing to do in such circumstances, otherwise people could have met with an accident.
Knowing that a video of her act has gone viral on social media, Kalan said that though people are praising her but she is more concerned to bring hers and her daughters' life back on track.
Mumbai’s Tragedy Of Open Manholes
Mumbai continues to make headlines every year during monsoons for the severe waterlogging and floods that cost the livelihoods of many in the city. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is the authority responsible for infrastructure and administration in the city, has often been criticized by Mumbaikars for their negligence of duty, especially with respect to open manholes and drains.
Research by fact-check website Boom Live showed that last year, the BMC was “tagged in 68 manhole related grievances” online. This particular civic issue began gaining attention most notably after Dr Deepak Amarapurkar died after falling into an open manhole during the Mumbai monsoons in 2017.