PESHAWAR: A letter recently submitted to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local government department by Peshawar city’s Water and Sanitation Services (WSSP) has revealed the poor management of the government as the letter identified 6,260 uncovered manholes in the city, which is posing a significant threat to the citzens lives.
The letter highlighted that more than 6,000 open manholes have been discovered in 42 union councils of Peshawar city, posing serious risks to the lives of citizens.
It said a total of 6,260 manholes in the areas under the jurisdiction of Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) have missing or broken covers. The risk of accidents is increasing due to these open manholes.
The WSSP has sent a letter to the Local Government Department to install covers on manholes, stating that funds of Rs 57.9 million are required for the installation of different types of manholes.
According to the letter, 1,707 manholes with a capacity of 15 tons are open, or their covers are broken, while 3,169 manholes with a capacity of six tons are without covers.
A total of 1,384 manholes, each with a capacity of two tons, are currently open or have covers that are no longer functional. A spokesperson from the Water and Sanitation Services Project (WSSP) highlighted that open manholes pose a significant hazard to the public. They noted that in the past, iron covers were frequently stolen, while thieves also damaged cement covers to access the sewage underneath.
To address this issue, the WSSP has decided to install modern RPC (Reinforced Plastic Composite) covers, and a tender for this project has already been issued. Work is expected to begin soon. The spokesperson also mentioned that by the year 2025, covers will have been installed on 2,261 manholes in various areas of the city.
