Across the city, thousands of open sewage pits remain unattended, demonstrating civic neglect.
They initially refused to go down the 10-foot manhole, but the chief inspector threatened to fire them. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
PESHAWAR:
On highways and narrow neighborhood streets, open manholes, meters deep and wide, have become death traps for children, women, motorcyclists and the elderly, exposing serious gaps in municipal oversight and administrative indifference.
In Babugari along Warsak Road, Inamullah, a 30-year-old motorcyclist, was returning home at night when he fell into a manhole discovered a few days ago. In the darkness he was unable to see the opening and crashed into exposed iron bars.
He suffered serious head injuries and was rushed to hospital, but later succumbed to his injuries.
His father, Ghulamullah, told The Express PK Press Club that whenever the drains or canals are cleaned, the debris is removed but the sites are not properly secured afterwards. “If coverage is not immediately possible, at least appropriate lighting should be provided,” he said.
“A small act of negligence cost my son his life,” he lamented, sharing that Inamullah left behind six children. The father called on authorities to ensure proper safety measures around manholes, canals and main drains so that no other family suffers similar losses.
In the historic Karimpura Bazaar area in the city center, Shah Saud shared that three manhole covers in his neighborhood were stolen and allegedly sold by drug addicts. “We complained to the authorities several times, but no help came,” he said.
“When we contacted the local Nazi, he simply said there were no funds available,” he said. According to him, several children fell and were injured, especially during school hours, but the administration remained unresponsive.
At night, open manholes become even more dangerous because they become almost invisible. During rains, they fill with water and turn into invisible traps, making them deadly for pedestrians and motorists. With increasingly volatile weather and heavier downpours, these street-level gaps are becoming harder to detect and more deadly.
The Peshawar Water and Sanitation Department (WSSP), highlighting the scale of the crisis, revealed that in 42 union councils of the city, 6,260 manholes are uncovered or damaged, posing serious risks to the public.
In an official letter sent to the Local Government Department, the WSSP said that around Rs125.27 million is required to install new covers for various categories of manholes. The count shows that 1,707 heavy manholes designed to hold 15 tonnes are open or broken, 3,169 manholes with a capacity of six tonnes are without covers and 1,384 manholes designed for two tonnes are also exposed.
According to WSSP officials, manhole cover theft has become a serious and persistent problem. Iron lids are frequently stolen and sold as scrap. Cement covers are broken to remove steel rebars, and even concrete structures are vandalized. For relatively small financial gains, public safety is compromised on a large scale.
In response to repeated thefts and security incidents, the department decided to install modern reactive powder concrete (RPC) manhole covers, which are stronger and less likely to be removed. In 2025, 2,261 manhole covers were installed in different areas of the city, according to sources.
Muhammad Ejaz, general manager of operations of the WSSP, told The Express PK Press Club that a comprehensive city-wide survey was carried out to map the threatened areas.
“The agency has so far replaced about 2,500 manholes using its own resources,” he said, asserting that once the additional funds are released, all remaining manholes will be covered.
