Karachi is like an old man with several dependents, countless ailments, innumerable healers and untold wealth. Over the years several healers have arrived and introduced new recipes that in their calculation would heal the ailments of this sprawling city but the surprising thing is that none of them has even succeeded in finding a solution to such a basic problem as securing covers on manholes around the city.
With great regularity these manholes gobble up little children and even the elderly and there is a great hue and cry but it all dies down after a while and it is life back to normal as the city awaits the next victim of open manholes. It is the same with victims of fires; specially, in public places that cause much more damage and horrendous amount of loss of life.
Time and again these fires erupt mostly due to faulty electric wiring and cause huge losses of life and property. A more deadly phenomenon is fire due to gas cylinders.
Only recently, I had written about the deadly consequences of gas cylinder fire and the damage it can cause and just last week it happened in Hyderi area of North Nazimabad where among others a young man of just 16 years of age lost his life. This deadly occurrence occurring during the Sehri in the holy month of Ramazan should warn everyone of the hazards of gas cylinders; specially, in closed spaces.
Why am I reminded of the tragedies that occur so regularly in Karachi? It is because it has been announced that a task force has been formed in Karachi, which will focus on cleanliness, garbage disposal, encroachment removal, illegal parking issues and sewerage system improvements.
Authorities have identified several major roads, including Shahrah-e-Faisal, Shahrah-e-Quaideen, I.I. Chundrigar Road, and Abdullah Haroon Road, as priority areas for development. It would have been pertinent to include roads in the low-lying areas of the city as well as they have been neglected for too long and deserve special attention too with the rest of the city.
The focus, as outlined by the administration, is also pertinent but then there are more issues that need urgent attention and as pointed out manhole covers are among them. Also what needs to be addressed urgently is the unchecked growth in the population of stray dogs. It is not just the increase in their population but the increase in their attacks; specially, on little children that needs to be addressed urgently. Hundreds of children are being brought to hospitals with dog bites and there have been several deaths as well due to dog bite cases.
The manhole covers problem is not such a herculean task. Now that at least in parts of Karachi there is a beautification programme going on manhole covers can be made a part of it.
There have been some innovative manhole covers in the past and now is the time to introduce them so they mingle with the ongoing beautification. Quite[D1] fancy manhole cover designs are available on the internet and can also be made to order in line with the theme of the beautification campaign, thus adding beauty and harmony to this much talked-about beautification effort of the city.
What is a beauty if surrounded by filth so the city needs extraordinary efforts to not only clean the city but keep the city clean. I have never understood why it is so difficult for Karachi and specially its commercial centers to remain neat and clean. It should be a mandatory part of agreements between the city and area shopkeepers to keep the area around their shops clean and not only refrain from throwing garbage there themselves but also prevent customers and other visitors from doing the same.
There have been several campaigns regarding traffic with city officials and traffic police working together to maintain some semblance of discipline on our roads. What Karachi needs is a huge cleanliness campaign in which all citizens participate whole-heartedly and it is not just restricted to garbage but to clean the city of stray dogs, open manholes, and shopping centers that are huge firetraps. For too long Karachi has been neglected. Time to put our hands together and give Karachi the look it so richly deserves.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
The writer is a well-known columnist