Yerawada Drainage Pit Death: PMC to Blacklist Contractor in Pune
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 19th October 2026: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has issued a show-cause notice to contractor Shubham Ashok Khanode and initiated action to blacklist him following the death of 69-year-old Pradeep Pardeshi, who fell into a pit dug for drainage work at Chitra Chowk in Yerawada.
PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said directions had been issued to initiate the blacklisting process against the contractor, who is based in Sangamner in Ahilyanagar district. The civic body has also stopped the contractor’s ongoing works at other locations in Pune and plans to withdraw them.
Pardeshi died after falling into a pit approximately 15 feet deep that had been excavated for laying a 900-mm-diameter sewer line at Chitra Chowk. The work was being carried out on behalf of the PMC.
According to the preliminary assessment, inadequate safety arrangements at the work site may have contributed to the accident. The contractor was required to provide proper barricading, protective railings, warning signboards and adequate lighting. The use of fibre barricades instead of iron barricades has also been cited as a possible factor in the incident.
The PMC has directed the contractor to submit a detailed explanation within 24 hours of receiving the show-cause notice. The civic body has also lodged a complaint with the police against the contractor, and a detailed inquiry has been ordered into the incident.
“Contractors are responsible for taking the necessary safety precautions after being awarded work by the municipal corporation. They are required to submit an undertaking regarding safety measures. The concerned contractor is being proceeded against for failing to take the required precautions. The PMC will also inspect ongoing works at other locations across the city,” Commissioner Ram said.
Inquiry into hospital discharge
The civic administration has also sought information regarding the circumstances under which Pardeshi was discharged from Rajiv Gandhi Hospital after the accident, and how he died later that night.
Ram said the police had been asked to look into the matter. The investigation will also examine whether there was any fault on the part of the vehicle driver or the deceased, if applicable. However, he stressed that the alleged lapses in safety arrangements at the drainage work site could not be overlooked.
