Across the city, thousands of open sewer manholes remain unattended, indicating civic neglect.
They initially refused to go down the 10-foot manhole, but the chief inspector threatened to fire them. PHOTO: EXPRESS/ARCHIVE
PESHAWAR:
Across highways and narrow neighborhood streets, open sewers, several meters deep and wide, have become death traps for children, women, motorcyclists and the elderly, highlighting serious failures in municipal oversight and administrative indifference.
At Babugari along Warsak Road, a 30-year-old motorcyclist, Inamullah, was returning home at night when he fell into an uncovered drainage culvert a few days ago. In the darkness, he could not see the opening and crashed into the exposed iron bars.
He suffered critical head injuries and was rushed to hospital, but later succumbed to his injuries.
His father, Ghulamullah, told The Express PAkGazette that whenever drains or canals are cleaned, the debris is removed, but then the sites are not properly secured. “If it is not possible to cover it immediately, there should at least be adequate lighting,” he said.
“A small act of negligence cost my son his life,” he lamented, sharing that Inamullah left behind six children. The father appealed to the authorities to ensure adequate safety measures around major culverts, canals and sewers so that no other family has to suffer a similar loss.
In the historic Karimpura Bazaar area of the city centre, Shah Saud shared three manhole covers in his neighborhood that were stolen and allegedly sold by drug addicts. “We have repeatedly complained to the authorities, but no help has come,” he said.
“When we approached the local Nazis, they simply told us there were no funds available,” he mentioned. According to him, several children fell and were injured, especially during school hours, but the administration did not react.
At night, open sewers become even more dangerous to life as they become almost invisible. When it rains, they fill with water and become invisible traps, making them deadly for pedestrians and motorists. With increasingly volatile weather patterns and heavier rainfall, those street-level voids become harder to detect and more deadly.
Underscoring the magnitude of the crisis, the Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) revealed that in 42 union councils of the city, 6,260 sewers are uncovered or damaged, posing serious risks to the public.
In a formal letter sent to the Local Government Department, WSSP stated that approximately Rs 125.27 crore is needed to install new covers for various categories of manholes. The breakdown shows that 1,707 heavy-duty manholes designed to hold 15 tons are open or broken, 3,169 manholes with a capacity of six tons are uncovered and 1,384 manholes designed for two tons are also exposed.
According to WSSP officials, manhole cover theft has become a persistent and serious problem. Iron lids are frequently stolen and sold for scrap. Concrete covers are broken to extract steel reinforcing bars, 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 has decided to install modern reactive powder concrete (RPC) manhole covers, which are stronger and less susceptible to removal. During 2025, 2,261 manhole covers were installed in different parts of the city, according to sources.
WSSP Chief Operating Officer Muhammad Ejaz told The Express PAkGazette that a comprehensive study has been completed across the city to map the endangered locations.
“So far, the agency has replaced about 2,500 manholes with its own resources,” he said, stating that once additional funds are released, all remaining manholes will be covered.
