Manholes or death traps Govt apathy turns roads into potential killers

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Dec 5 : "Manholes or death traps?" - This is the serious question being raised by people regarding the implementation of the sewerage project across Imphal.
While the project aims to improve the sanitation infrastructure, the positioning of manholes at higher elevations than the surrounding road level has sparked a serious safety issue for both pedestrians and vehicles alike.
For instance, the manholes at  Thangmeiband Hijam Dewan Leikai are positioned inches higher than the actual road level, creating an uneven surface and significantly increasing the risk of road accidents.
A group of pedestrians told The Sangai Express that they welcome the implementation of the sewerage project but the way it has been executed is dangerous, as most of the manholes are positioned at elevated levels.
Even as the manholes along DM College Road (from Khuyathong to the Manipur Legislative Assembly stretch) cause significant inconvenience to the public, the one at Hijam Dewan Leikai is positioned even higher, they said.
Saying that people may be able to navigate the manholes during the day but it becomes dangerous at night, they asked how the Engineers responsible designed the manholes.
They also asked whether the Government plans to elevate the road by repeatedly blacktopping it, warning that the same will make residential areas more vulnerable to flooding.
The pedestrians said that the positioning of the manholes reflects a lack of proper planning, asking whether the manholes were installed without any consideration for future policy.
Saying that the issue reflects broader concerns about the execution of infrastructure projects in Manipur, they urged the Government to execute developmental projects with foresight to ensure long  term benefits and sustainability.