PPP, FixIt clash in Korangi over open manhole after child’s death

On Monday, tensions flared in Korangi when workers of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) allegedly stopped volunteers of the Fix It organization from installing a manhole cover at the affected location. According to witnesses, FixIt volunteers had arrived at the site with a vehicle loaded with manhole covers, intending to place a cover on the open sewer where the child had died.

However, PPP workers objected to the move, leading to a heated argument between the two sides. The FixIt volunteers were reportedly prevented from installing the cover and were forced to leave the area with the vehicle still carrying the manhole covers.

The incident comes hours after the grieving father of Dilbar Ali spoke to the media, blaming civic negligence for his son’s death. He had stated that the manhole cover was removed about a month earlier for sewer cleaning but was never replaced, despite repeated risks to residents.

The father had appealed to the government to ensure that all open manholes in Karachi are immediately covered to prevent further loss of life.

Residents say the dispute reflects a growing “politics of manhole covers” in Karachi, where responsibility is being contested instead of urgent action being taken.

The situation has further angered locals, who argue that humanitarian efforts should not be blocked, especially after multiple fatalities linked to open sewers.

No official statement has yet been issued by Karachi administration regarding the clash or the installation of manhole covers at the site. Meanwhile, concerns continue to mount as open manholes remain a deadly hazard across Karachi.