At least 22 children lost their lives this year after falling into open manholes and drains, highlighting the failure of municipal committees and union councils, said Provincial Minister Local Government Syed Nasir Hussain Shah on Thursday.
Shah, while speaking about the incident at NIPA Chowrangi, said it was unfortunate that immediately after the accident, all institutions were busy blaming each other. Some claimed it was their line, others said it belonged to someone else, but the Sindh government’s position was clear: whoever was responsible and aware of the open manhole was fully accountable, and no one could be absolved of this negligence.
The minister admitted that after the incident, no institution acted promptly, nor was immediate rescue carried out, which resulted in the loss of an innocent life. He said that this year alone, 22 children had died falling into open manholes and drains, reflecting the severe failure of the municipal committee and union councils.
Shah said that the mayor of Karachi personally visited the grieving family and apologised, while the Sindh government stood in full solidarity with the affected family. He added that clear orders had been issued by the leadership to ensure the immediate security of all manholes across the city, assign personnel to every sensitive manhole, and direct institutions to submit a full list of all manholes, their security status, and repair reports within 24 hours.
He emphasised that wherever any negligence was found, the strictest action would be taken immediately, and zero tolerance would be applied against the responsible officers and staff. He urged citizens to immediately report any open or uncovered manhole they notice, to prevent further tragedies.
He also noted that the NIPA Chowrangi incident was not the responsibility of a single department but a test for the entire machinery. The Sindh government had formed an investigative team to determine accountability, which would submit its report within 72 hours, while emergency sewer safety plans were being implemented across the city at full speed.
