Open manholes at certain places in Rawal Town and Rawalpindi Cantonment Board area are causing serious problems for the residents and they are threat to lives of the citizens. Open manholes in different areas including Pirwadhai, Dhoke Hasu, Saidpur Road, Satellite town, Faizaabad, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board areas like Peoples Colony, Dhoke Syedian, Afshan colony, Dhoke Chaudharian, Misrial Road and several other localities have been without covers for the last few months, endangering the lives of citizens.
These open manholes also cause accidents particularly on roads as vehicles get trapped and damaged. Tahir, a resident of Satellite Town complained that there are more than seven open manholes and uncovered drains in the area which are a serious threat to the lives of residents and motorists. The open manholes can cause accident, residents said and added that there are many incidents in which people sustained injuries after falling into uncovered manholes.
They said there is another danger that people particularly children could fall into the manholes especially when there is stagnant water during rains so these should be covered by the departments concerned. The residents said various open manholes and uncovered drains in the city are posing a serious threat to the lives of Pinidiites due to indifference of civic authorities.
Walking on the main roads, streets and footpaths has become a risky business, as a pedestrian’s next step could be his last. Several people have received serious injuries after falling into such uncovered manholes. However, the civic authorities did not take the issue seriously, as no solid steps were taken to prevent such horrific incidents in the future.
