THE recent death of three-year-old Ibrahim, who fell into a manhole on University Road in Karachi, shook the city. Karachi residents were enraged at the apathy put on display by the relevant civic agencies. They fear that more such incidents can occur if remedial actions are not taken immediately.

Even a cursory look at our roads, streets, footpaths and public spaces exposes both visible and invisible hazards. University Road routinely experiences inundation — not due so much to rains as to broken water pipelines and sewers. With continued excavation there and the absence of an alternative path, mobility along this principal corridor is a challenge. The entity created to oversee the construction and management of the Red Line BRT has been silent on the problems. Far from delivering on its promise of ‘third generation service’ the agency has pushed Karachi into a state comparable to Europe’s Dark Ages!’

Not far away, gas utility contractors continue to excavate the ground to lay some pipes on Abul Hasan Isphahani Road. Similar scenes are in evidence on North Nazimabad’s dug-up streets. It’s a miracle that these death traps haven’t claimed more lives considering the dearth of precautionary........

© Dawn