US consulate apologises for Mumbai travel advisory

Three days after issuing an advisory to the American citizens warning them of open manholes during the monsoons, the US Consulate on Thursday sent a letter of apology to the Mumbai civic chief.
 
"The Consulate has written a letter to the municipal commissioner apologizing for the advisory which was received," additional municipal commissioner RA Rajeev told PTI.
 
The warden advisory on June nine by the American citizens service unit on the Consulate General of United
States of America website advised its citizens in Mumbai to beware of open manholes without warning signs, non-existent sidewalks, and flooded streets.
 
The advisory elicited a strong response from the city's civic body with the mayor and additional municipal
commissioner dashing off letters to the consulate.
 
"I wrote to the consulate on Wednesday saying what they had written about the open manholes in the city was not true," Rajeev said. "Also I pointed out that the advisory hurt the sentiments of all the civic workers who wade through the rain and flooded streets to do their work," the AMC said.
 
Mayor Shubha Raul also wrote a letter to the consulate on Thursday pointing out that the advisory was not appropriate especially since foreign nationals were travelling freely in the city even after the arrival of the monsoons.
 
"I have sought an explanation from the consulate for insulting Mumbai on an international platform," Raul said.
 
The city's municipal corporation has been facing flak for its preparedness for the rains since the arrival of the south-west monsoons on June 7.