A new report has shown that Karachi listed 1,543 complaints about missing manhole covers between 23 October and 1 December, raising serious concerns about public safety across all 25 towns of the city, according to the report.
The Karachi Water Corporation confirmed that out of these complaints, 1,449 have already been resolved. North Nazimabad Town topped the list with 169 complaints, making it the worst-affected area.
New Karachi Town followed with 149 complaints related to uncovered manholes, while Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town ranked third with 110 complaints.
Officials also pointed out that the recent tragic case in which a three-year-old boy fell into an open manhole occurred in the same town. Of the 110 complaints from Gulshan-e-Iqbal, 107 have been addressed.
Several other towns also recorded notable numbers: Jinnah Town received 65 complaints and Saddar Town 64. Lyari Town reported 37, Keamari Town 46, and Liaquatabad Town 36. Landhi Town registered 49 complaints, Korangi Town 92, and Malir Town 39.
SITE Town recorded 17, Model Colony Town 40, while Safoora Town submitted 94. Shah Faisal Town had 56, Chanesar Town 47, Baldia Town 50, and Sohrab Goth Town reported the lowest count with just three complaints.
Officials say the findings highlight the urgent need for stronger monitoring and quicker action to avoid further accidents across the city.
This report comes shortly after the heartbreaking incident involving three-year-old Ibrahim, who fell into an open manhole near Nipa Chowrangi in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. The child slipped into the uncovered manhole late Sunday night, around 11 pm. Rescue teams immediately launched a search but were unable to locate him.
The search was briefly halted, after which local residents brought in heavy machinery themselves to continue digging and assist with the effort. Ibrahim, son of Nabeel, had been out shopping with his family when the tragedy occurred. After a 15-hour search, rescue workers recovered his body on Monday afternoon.