A tiny shoe is visible in the mud of the uncovered, clogged sewer where eight-year-old Dilbar Ali died on Monday. Photo: Express
KARACHI:
Uncovered manholes have become death traps for unsuspecting Karachi residents, especially children, amid what can only be described as criminal apathy on the part of the civic authorities.
Officials routinely issue sympathetic statements or even offer public apologies for media consumption, only to retreat into inaction and wait for the next tragedy to unfold.
A few days ago, a little boy lost his life when he was swallowed by an open sewer in front of his helpless mother, who watched in horror as her three-year-old son was dragged through dirty, gushing water.
As haunting images of the distraught mother continue to haunt Karachi residents, a sewer has since claimed the life of another young woman, underscoring the city’s deadly neglect.
Eight-year-old Dilbar Ali died on Monday after falling into an uncovered manhole in Sector 6-G of Mehran city, bringing the total number of deaths caused by open manholes so far this year to 27, according to unofficial figures.
Despite repeated promises of corrective measures, there is still no visible action by the civic authorities to address the danger. An atmosphere of anger and grief prevails in Mehran city, where residents mourn the loss of another life due to official negligence.
Muhammad Waheed, a social activist from Mehran town, said the area, which falls under the jurisdiction of Shah Faisal town, is part of the Korangi industrial zone.
The town, home to a large working-class population, is plagued by deteriorating streets and a widespread absence of manhole covers.
Dilber Ali’s uncle managed to pull him out of the sewer, but by then the boy had already succumbed to injuries caused by the fall. News of the incident spread quickly and a large crowd gathered at the scene, expressing intense grief and frustration over the preventable death.
After the tragedy, local political and municipal leaders, including Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad, Shah Faisal City President Gohar Khattak, and representatives of various political parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami, PTI and the PPP, visited the area. They issued statements of condolence, but their words were quickly overshadowed by a heated political blame game. Each representative pointed out the others, but no one took responsibility for the fatal negligence.
The open manhole at the site of Dilbar Ali’s death remains uncovered.
Azhar Ali, the grieving father of the victim, regretted that even after such a tragic incident, no steps had been taken to secure the open manhole that had claimed his son’s life.
The boy’s maternal grandfather, Shaukat Ali, was equally distraught and questioned the lack of basic infrastructure in the city. “We pay taxes to the government, but we can’t even install manhole covers?”
Dilbar Ali’s uncle Sardar Ali, a worker by profession, also appealed to the authorities not to politicize the tragedy. “We are workers and no one has come to help us. Our nephew is gone and the family is grieving. Please do not make this a political issue,” he urged.
Chhipa Foundation spokesperson Chaudhry Shahid Hussain revealed that 27 people have already died this year due to falls into manholes and open manholes, including 14 deaths from manholes and 13 from open manholes. The victims included 21 adults and six children.
