Staff Reporter :
Open manholes on various city roads have become virtual death traps for the commuters, but the civic bodies are hardly taking any notice of this, alleged city dwellers.
They said more than 100 manholes remain open on various roads in the capital for years, posing serious threat to public particularly for pedestrians.
“Most manholes that remained without cover are under the jurisdiction of Dhaka North and South city corporations, and Dhaka WASA. These civic bodies are not taking the issue seriously creating problems for the city dwellers,” Monir Hossain, a resident of the city’s Nakhalpara area told The New Nation on Saturday.
He said many manholes in his neighbourhood were open for months. “Local people filed numerous complaints with the concerned authority but all in vain,” he added.
“Open manholes everywhere have become serious life threat to public, especially at night, but the concerned authority is not taking the matter seriously,” said Kabir Ahmed, a resident of city’s Shampur area.
Even manholes lie exposed after the sewerage workers remove their covers to clean up the drains.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the poor service of the concerned civic bodies, he said, “We are paying tax regularly to them, but in return, they are providing us death risk.”
Officials of the concerned authorities, on the other hand, claimed that they covered all manholes, but drug addicts and miscreants steal them for meeting drug cost.
