KARACHI, Feb 5: Manholes in many localities are lying open posing a serious threat to passers-by and commuters alike. Attitude of the authorities concerned is quite indifferent as a missing or stolen lid is never restored in most cases. When a manhole lid disappears, it is often assumed that it might have been stolen by an addict and the people living in the locality concerned would inform the officials concerned accordingly anticipating a favourable response. Some manholes would lose their lids to the pressure of vehicles. However, there are instances where sanitary staff themselves would remove manhole lids in a street or a road to flush out the rainwater or sewage and would never replace them.Residents of Federal B Area’s Block 10 have pointed out that a lid-less manhole on the busy Shahrah-i-Pakistan has become a permanent nuisance for passers-by and motorists for long. In a recent incident, they said, two boys riding a motorbike had fallen into the manhole and sustained injuries but the officials concerned did not bother to restore its cover even after the incident.

Residents of Orangi Town’s Bihar Colony have drawn the attention of the local municipal authorities to the wide trench developed around an open manhole after the portion of road near General Post Office caved in. Countless pedestrians and motorists narrowly escape a mishap or accident every day but no remedial steps were being taken, they complained, adding that women, children and elderly people of the locality were particularly exposed to the hazard.

People are more vulnerable to the threat in night hours as the absence of streetlights in the locality has turned the damaged portion of the road into a virtual booby trap, according to Taufiq Ahmed, one of the local residents.

Quite a large number of manholes along the main thoroughfares in Baldia and Orangi towns are without covers at present, a survey showed. People have been using the open manholes for dumping their domestic garbage and their practice over a long period of time has resulted in choking of the entire sewerage line.