Open Manholes in Karachi: Administrative Negligence and a Collective Tragedy

In a sprawling metropolis like Karachi already burdened by disorderly expansion and countless daily hardships the tragic series of incidents witnessed this year has exposed a deeper fracture within the city’s civic landscape. Fatalities resulting from open manholes and storm drains are not mere accidents; they constitute a chilling narrative of administrative apathy, inadequate oversight, and a blatant disregard for the most rudimentary principles of public safety. Across various localities during the year, several individuals including young children lost their lives, while many others sustained severe injuries. These heart-rending episodes have plunged bereaved families into grief and have sent waves of anguish and outrage throughout the city.

This tragic pattern garnered heightened attention when, in one of the city’s busiest areas, a young child fell into an uncovered manhole that had been temporarily sealed with nothing more than a piece of cardboard. The sheer fragility of this makeshift covering proved no match for the child’s weight, causing it to collapse and the child to plunge into the dark and deadly shaft below. What followed was a lengthy rescue operation involving modern equipment, heavy machinery, and the combined efforts of multiple departments. Yet despite all attempts, the child could not be saved, and his body was recovered far away from the incident site. This incident stands as a stark and painful testament to the dilapidated condition of Karachi’s basic infrastructure and to the disturbing nonchalance of the institutions responsible for its upkeep.

The rising number of such tragedies across the city has intensified the gravity of the crisis. A pedestrian suddenly disappears into an open gutter, a motorcyclist meets a fatal accident due to the absence of lighting or warning signs, children playing near their homes are swept away, and missing persons are discovered days later in drainage channels. The common thread uniting all these events is unmistakable administrative incompetence, criminal negligence, and the absence of timely preventive measures.

Another deeply unsettling reality is that, in many cases, the victims’ families are left to seek help on their own. Time and again, relatives have had to arrange equipment, hire heavy machinery, and initiate rescue efforts themselves long before any relevant authority arrives at the scene. This situation raises serious questions about the priorities of Karachi’s administrative apparatus, which has repeatedly failed to safeguard the most basic rights and lives of its citizens.

The aftermath of these incidents triggered widespread protests from streets to assembly halls. Enraged citizens staged sit-ins, burned tires, and voiced their fury against the authorities. Meanwhile, local government sessions also echoed with unrest, as opposition members vehemently protested, demanded answers, and questioned how long open manholes would continue to claim innocent lives. The emotional intensity of the issue was evident when, in the assembly, some lawmakers were visibly moved to tears.

Within the assembly chambers, government representatives expressed regret and promised action against those responsible. Yet such assurances are hardly new to Karachi’s residents. Similar promises have been made repeatedly in the past, with little to no tangible progress. Across the city, countless manholes remain exposed hazards many are broken, missing their covers, or sealed temporarily with stones, sacks, or other unsafe makeshift methods. Consequently, instead of declining, the frequency of such accidents continues to rise.

This situation extends far beyond administrative failure; it reflects a more profound systemic collapse. Issues of this magnitude cannot be attributed to a single institution or individual they are the result of a fractured governance structure lacking coordination and clarity of responsibility. When municipal bodies, the water and sewerage department, town administrations, and district officials operate without integrated planning or well-defined mandates, such tragedies become inevitable. Public safety cannot be ensured through post-incident statements alone; it demands a coherent, robust, and consistently implemented strategy.

There is an urgent need for a comprehensive survey of all manholes and storm drains across the city, immediate repair or replacement of broken or missing covers, installation of clear warning signage at vulnerable sites, and the establishment of strict monitoring mechanisms at high-risk locations. Simultaneously, public awareness campaigns must encourage citizens to report hazardous spots promptly. Rescue services must likewise be modernized to ensure swift, coordinated responses during emergencies.

If the city’s administration and elected representatives genuinely consider public service their mandate, then decisive and immediate measures to prevent such tragedies are indispensable. Karachi is home to millions of hardworking individuals who deserve safety, dignity, and protection. Their lives must not be jeopardized by political rivalries, bureaucratic inertia, or institutional indifference. The problem of open manholes is not merely a flaw in infrastructure; it is the story of a city failing to protect its own people.

It is time to recognize this crisis not as a series of isolated accidents but as a grave urban and administrative emergency requiring systemic reform. Every child, every pedestrian, and every citizen has the right to safe streets, secure pathways, and a functional civic environment. This is not only a moral obligation of the state but an explicit constitutional duty.

If seriousness continues to elude the authorities, the loss of human life in Karachi will persist as a grim, recurring reality and each such tragedy will weigh heavily on our collective conscience. The moment demands resolute action, not complacency. Otherwise, this city will remain trapped in the same sorrowful narratives of open manholes and deadly drains and history will bear witness to how many precious lives were allowed to slip away.