DEHRADUN: Open manholes and drains are posing a threat to safety of commuters on city roads. Several manholes and drains are left uncovered right in the middle of roads, making commute risky, specially during the monsoon when the city is already grappling with waterlogging issues.
“A manhole here was left open since Sunday. Maybe it was done to drain excess water because it was raining heavily over the weekend or they forgot to close it after repair work. Either way, it was putting commuters’ lives at risk. Wheels of a vehicle could have gotten stuck in it or even a pedestrian, specially with the amount of water that accumulates here when it rains,” said Mahendra Kumar, an autorickshaw driver near Lansdowne Chowk.
He said that on Tuesday, some local agency covered it with two concrete slabs instead of the proper cover. A TOI spot-check revealed that the slabs don’t fit and jut out of the opening. Any vehicle could trip on these which could lead to a fatal accident, specially in case of low visibility because of rain. The issue has been deemed a drainage problem by officials. City residents claim that the problem of open drains and manholes is not a new one.
“A few days ago, an elderly couple fell in a drain and sustained minor injuries. I have also faced this problem a few years back. With so much infrastructure work going on across the city, some drain or the other is left open,” said Mahesh Bhandari, president, Doon Residents Welfare Front. Residents further claimed that complaints on the matter often go unheard.
“We take care of the manholes and any complaints are immediately addressed,” said Neelima Garg, MD, Jal Sansthan. The official of Uttarakhand Jal Nigam, who caters to drainage-related problems, reiterated the same.
