Manhole deaths should not be politicised, says Karachi mayor

KARACHI: Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab has urged critics to avoid turning the issue of open manholes into a political controversy, saying the matter should be addressed as a civic failure rather than a partisan battle.

His remarks come amid growing outrage over a series of fatal accidents caused by uncovered manholes across the city. More than two dozen people, most of them children, have lost their lives this year as authorities struggle to secure sewer openings throughout the metropolis.

Wahab was speaking to journalists at Kidney Hill Park, a day after an eight-year-old boy died after falling into an open sewer in Mehran Town, Korangi. He said that if a gutter cover had been removed and left on the side, the situation should not be exploited for political point-scoring.

The mayor said he remains in contact with the bereaved family and described the incident as deeply tragic. According to an initial investigation, the manhole cover had been taken off and placed nearby. He added that funds amounting to Rs100,000 had been released to the relevant union council earlier this month to address such issues.

Without naming individuals, Wahab referred to conflicting claims made by political figures in recent days, noting that one person had announced the installation of all missing covers, while another later released a video alleging that covers were still missing.

Placing responsibility on local administrations, the mayor criticised the absence of certain union council chairmen, questioning how official duties were being carried out in their absence.

He stressed that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation would continue to engage contractors based on performance, warning that those who fail to deliver would be blacklisted. Wahab rejected suggestions that the KMC could be pressured or blackmailed, adding that tangible progress on multiple development projects would become visible in the coming year.