I have come across community reports in the past about manholes that are left open, which are dangerous for passersby. A few days ago, I came across one such dangerous manhole and thought to write about it, too.
I was walking on Al Arooba Street in Sharjah, when I saw this manhole. The cover has gaping holes in it, probably because it is extremely old and rusted. This is quite dangerous for passersby, as it seems fragile and could break due to excess weight. Since it is located on a divider between two roads, a lot of times pedestrians run over it to cross the road.
This is a busy street and there is constant flow of traffic and a lot of pedestrians, too. I’m most concerned about the people who walk by in the evenings, as they may not even be able to see the damaged cover in the dark. Additionally, children might get curious and try to open it. No incidents have occurred so far, but we cannot dismiss it. Sooner or later an accident could happen.
This is the second such manhole; there’s another one on Bank Street in Sharjah. I urge the authorities to take note of these and fix them immediately to avoid any mishaps.
The reader is based in Sharjah.
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