ISLAMABAD, (APP): Residents of the capital have
demanded the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to take action
against dozens of lidless and boiling open manholes posing threats
to the residents
Expressing apprehensions the residents said that
sometimes the open manholes may lead to disastrous traffic accidents
and loss of human life.
It is pertinent to mention here that earlier a 16-year-
old boy was died on January 1 this year after falling into an open
manhole at Aabpara where he slipped and fell into an open manhole.
Muhammad Abbas Ali, a resident of Aabpara told APP that
the CDA, despite being a rich body, is apathetic to the civic issues
and spends maximum share of its development budget for the
betterment of posh areas and the elite class.
Meanwhile, the open manholes also cause accidents as most
often vehicles fall into the manholes and got damaged.
Chairman of All Traders Association, Blue Area, Chaudhry
Furqan said that different markets including Blue Area, the
commercial hub of the capital, markets and residential areas of
sectors G-7, G-8, G-9, G-10, I-9,I-10 and I-11 are suffering in many
difficulties due to the open, boiling, and stinking manholes posing
threat to human lives.
When contacted a senior CDA official said that the
residents are directly responsible for the problem adding they use
lidless manholes as dustbins blocking sewerage system. He said
however sometime telephone and power cables passing through the
manholes also worsen the situation.
Open manholes could be seen covered by twigs and tree
branches in near Zeropoint Interchange, G-7, G-8,G-9 (Karachi
Company), G-10 and 1-10 Markaz areas to warn the unwary passers-by.
Sardar Ali, an elderly man said that his eyesight was weak
and the civi body and the civicbody should bother to put signboard
near to the lidless manholes situated in the middle of the roads and
streets with foul smelling sewage testing the nerves of the passer-
bys.
Despite repeated assurance by the CDA, no special allocation
has been made in the budget for fiscal year 2015-2016 to address the
problem.
Shakeel Ahmed a resident of G-7/1 said that a deluge of
requests had been made to the directorate concerned for covering the
open manholes and unblocking the sewerage lines but any action is
still awaited.
No contact CDA spokesperson said the Authority registers
complaints and addresses them on daily basis, adding that the civic
body would shortly launch a comprehensive plan to ensure the
coverage of all lidless manholes across the capital which will also
help improve sewerage system of the city.