Open manholes pose threat to citizens in Sargodha

Number of children, senior citizens and motorcyclists have fallen into the exposed holes

SARGODHA: Open manholes on the city roads pose a threat to the lives of motorists and pedestrians, but the departments concerned are not ready to cover them up. The buck of responsibility is constantly passed from one authority to the other. The covering of the manholes has become an issue for the district administration and municipal committee.

It has been observed that the manholes on different roads have been lying open for a long time, but officials have turned a blind eye to the matter.

A visit to different city areas by Express News showed that open manholes not only posed threat to lives of the citizens, but could also lead to fatal accidents and are a hindrance in the smooth flow of traffic.



These open manholes are seen in almost all parts of the city, including Chenab Bazaar, Katcheri Road, Bhalwal Road etc.

It has also been learnt that a number of children, senior citizens and motorcyclists fell into them.

Muneeb Ali, a resident of Kot Momin, told Express News that he narrowly escaped a major accident two days back when the front wheel of his motorcycle got stuck in a manhole.

“I was travelling on Bhalwal Road at night and there was also no streetlight in the area when the incident occurred.” He said authorities concerned should plug the manholes without further delay.

Another resident, Kashif Hasnain, said these uncovered manholes can lead to fatal accidents, especially after sunset. “The open manholes on the roads are a life threat and must be covered on a priority basis.”

There are dozens of open sewers and no one takes any notice until someone dies.” He said that several people had appealed to the TMA about the issue. “We have asked them to seal them off dozens of times, but they never bother.”

Citizen Muneer Ansari told Express News that the municipal committee is not taking the matter seriously. “They are waiting for an unfortunate incident to happen,” he lamented.

“Despite submitting several applications to cover manholes, the municipal committee has not taken any step in this regard,” he maintained.

“If these open manholes are not covered, the residents of the city will lodge a protest against the municipal committee and authorities concerned.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2018.