Uneven, broken manhole covers in Karnal pose risk

Parveen Arora

Karnal, December 25

Motorists, especially those on two-wheelers, are facing a risk of accidents due to uneven and broken manhole covers in the city. Lack of proper maintenance and repair of manholes by the civic authorities, and the improper alignment of manhole covers during the road re-laying process are considered to be the main reasons behind this situation.

Several such manholes can be seen on Kunjpura road near the auto market, Ram Nagar, near Dyal Singh College, on the stretch between railway road and Raghunath temple, Sadar Bazar, Sector 9, Basant Vihar, Sector 13, Prem Nagar, and other parts of the city. Some manholes protrude above the road level, showing the poor quality of work done by the contractors and the lack of monitoring by the civic authorities.

Despite several complaints filed by the residents, many covers have been lying broken, while some are not properly placed, creating a potential hazard for the lives of residents.

“Many manholes are above the road surface, leading to road accidents. Broken and uneven manhole covers damage the vehicles. The authorities should conduct a survey to identify the number of such manholes and repair them,” said Sunil Arora, a local resident.

Dr Aman, another resident, said visibility turns poor at night, making it difficult for motorists to spot the broken and uneven manholes, resulting in accidents. There is a need to repair and replace these manholes and covers to prevent accidents at such spots, he added.

Karnal Municipal Corporation (KMC) Commissioner, Abhishek Meena said he has instructed the officials concerned to identify such manholes and ensure proper repair.