Karachi mayor launches helpline to provide manhole covers

KARACHI: Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab has launched a dedicated hotline for Karachiites to report complaints about open manholes, ARY News reported.

According to reports, the mayor assured citizens that if any manhole cover is missing, they can simply report it, promising swift action. The Karachi Water Corporation will now address citizens’ concerns urgently.

Following the issue raised by ARY News, Mayor Wahab has announced that the city’s 1334 helpline is now activated to resolve the problem. Citizens can call this number to report open manholes and get a quick resolution.

Mayor Wahab also stated that the city would provide as many manhole covers as required to ensure safety. Last year, 71,000 manhole covers were installed across various areas.

He reassured residents that they no longer need to wait, encouraging them to call the 1334 help line for immediate action. Protecting the lives of citizens remains the top priority for the Karachi Mayor.

On January 5, 2024 an 8-year-old boy died after falling into an open manhole in Karachi’s Shah Faisal Colony.

As per details, rescue teams had earlier retrieved the body of the child, who was a resident of Shah Faisal Colony A-1.

According to rescue officials, two children had fallen into the manhole, and one was rescued immediately whereas the body of the deceased child was retrieved from a nearby drain.

Town Chairman Shah Faisal Colony Gohar Khattak, while speaking to ARY News, said that covering the manhole was the responsibility of the Water Corporation.

“They don’t provide us with covers, nor do they install them themselves,” Khattak said, adding that the Water and Sewerage Corporation always gives the same response, “There is no budget.”

Earlier in a similar incident in Hyderabad on November 18, three-year-old boy named Sufyan lost his life after falling into an open manhole.

According to the family, they had to retrieve the child’s body from the sewer on their own.