Tantamount to murder?

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government has decided to prosecute the cases of stealing, selling and buying of manhole covers with the charges of attempt to murder, Bol News has learnt.

Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) and local government senior officials have been warned by the Punjab chief secretary that they will be held responsible and will be proceeded against for dereliction of duty if any manhole is found open in their jurisdiction.

“Furthermore, any person found stealing, selling or buying manhole covers shall be charged with attempted murder,” the notification by the chief secretary stated.

This action has been taken after an unfortunate incident in Faisalabad in which a child had fallen in a manhole because its cover was missing.

“It is a matter of collective shame for us that our children are dying because of open manholes, as happened in Faisalabad a day earlier, obviously some managing directors of WASAs and chief officers of local governments are not fulfilling their basic responsibilities,” the notification reads in this context by the chief secretary.

Meanwhile billboards and hoardings have been displayed at various places in Rawalpindi on which it has been stated that those who have been found involved in stealing of covers of manholes will be charged under sections of terrorism and attempt to murder. The persons involved in stealing of covers have been warned to avoid doing it.

‘Nuisance to society’

Another billboard stated that those who are responsible for stealing manhole covers are a nuisance to society. Identifying people involved in stealing manholes’ covers is our ‘national duty,’ it further stated. These billboards have been put up by WASA Rawalpindi.

A WASA official who declined to be named told Bol News that under the law, a move which can take the life of a person would invite implication of those sections of the law which basically address attempt to murder cases.

He further said this campaign has just started and WASA Rawalpindi would register FIR against the persons who are found involved in stealing covers of manholes.

The official said that his department has received footage of the area near Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi in which two people may be seen taking away the cover of a manhole.

He added that this CCTV footage is that of the house in front of which the cover of the manhole was removed and taken away. “WASA Rawalpindi is viewing the footage and afterwards it would prosecute the elements involved in it under attempt to murder charges.”

According to the WASA official, there are five to six departments in every major city of Pakistan which have manholes on the roads. “In Rawalpindi, round-shaped covers on manholes on 20-feet down sewerage lines are basically the manholes managed by it. Roadside manholes on small nullahs are managed by the municipal corporation. Likewise there are manholes which are managed by WAPDA, PTCL and other departments.”

He said that if it is WASA’s manhole cover that has been stolen, then it would be replaced within 24 hours after receiving a complaint in this connection. Moreover, if it is a manhole of some other department, then the complainant would be guided as to which department should be contacted to address the issue.

WASA’s covers consist of iron rings and pieces of iron bars which are used to strengthen the cement work in the cover of the manholes. Generally, it carries iron weighing around 12 kilogrammes to 15kg. Reportedly, drug addicts remove these covers and after separating concrete from them, they sell them to junk dealers. Nowadays, the iron is sold for Rs100 or more per kg.

Meanwhile, the campaign against stealing of manholes’ covers has been initiated in major cities of Punjab. WASA Faisalabad in public service messages has informed the public that stealing of manhole covers and its sale and purchase is illegal. Moreover, people involved in such acts would be charged under the section of PPC which caters to attempt to murder cases.

The sanitation agency has also asked the citizens to inform WASA about missing manhole covers on a toll-free number to make the lives of others secure.

WASA Lahore in a public service message has appealed to the people to inform the sanitation agency about missing or broken manhole covers.