Open manholes spark safety fears in Faridabad, locals call for swift MC action

Open or damaged manholes at several locations of Faridabad pose a risk of accidents to commuters. However, the poor redressal of grievances, along with the shortage of staff and equipment, has added to residents’ woes.

Fatalities, penalties

• In October 2022, a 36-year-old labourer had died after he slipped into a 9-ft pit in Palla.
• A 24-year-old bank employee had died after falling into a 25-ft manhole the same year.
• The state’s Human Rights Commission had imposed a penalty of ~10 lakh on the civic body in 2021 in connection with the death of two persons in June 2018 in manhole-related accidents.

As per sources in the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad, though several accidents due to open manholes and drains take place every year, the shortage of equipment and staff has resulted exacerbated the situation. While the average distance between two manholes is 35-50 m, the total length of the sewer lines in the city is around 1,600 km. The MC, which receives several complaints every week, is hardly able to address the residents’ issues within 24 hours.

“Despite a helpline number having been provided, the response has been poor,” says Narender, a resident of the NIT here. He said the residents had to often step in to cover the open manholes or unclog the choked and blocked lines in their residential pockets.

“As no updated data is available regarding the number of open manholes in Faridabad, many complaints are attended only after the intervention of influential persons or officials,” says Vishnu Goel, a social activist. He said while some FIRs had also been registered against civic body officials in the past, more than three persons had lost their lives after they fell into the manholes or deep pits since January 2022.

A 36-year-old labourer died after he slipped into a 9-ft pit in Palla in October 2022. Besides, a 24-year-old bank employee had died after he fell into a 25-ft manhole the same year.

Highlighting “mismanagement” on part of the authorities, Naresh Shastri, president of Nagarpalika Karamchri Sangh, Haryana, claims that against the requirement of 10,000 cleanliness workers and 2,000 workers employed to clean sewers, the MC has a staff of 3,000 and 189, respectively. No safety gadgets and equipment is provided to the employees engaged for such work on outsourcing basis, he adds.

“The process of repairing or covering the manholes is cumbersome,” says SK Sharma, district coordinator, Road Safety Organisation (RSO), an NGO. He said red flags and wooden poles were placed by the locals as part of preventive measures. The state’s Human Rights Commission had imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on the civic body in 2021 in connection with the death of two persons in June 2018 in manhole-related accidents.

Meanwhile, MC Chief Engineer Birender Kardam said, “The MC replaces the broken or open manhole covers regularly.”