DANGERS OF OPEN MANHOLES

Manhole

A manhole is a large hole in a road or path, covered by a metal plate that can be removed. Workers climb down through manholes when they want to examine or clean the drains. A manhole also known as an inspection chamber, it is an access point to an underground utility network, such as a drainage system. The presence of a drain or sewer manhole allows the underground pipes to be inspected, surveyed, unblocked, cleaned, or repaired.

Use of Manhole Covers

-       They are essential for safety, as they prevent people from falling down the manhole or trying to enter the drainage system without permission.

-       Manhole covers also prevent objects and debris from getting into the drainage system where it could cause a blockage.

-       They also prevent surface water from entering the drainage system at that point, so the drainage pipes do not become overfull during

Heavy rain.

Dangers of Open Manholes

-       An open manhole is a death trap for the people, especially at night and during the rainy season, when the streets are covered with water.

-       An open manhole can lead to accident while driving. As the wheel of the car can get stuck up in the pit.

-       An open manhole can cause a potential health hazard as it could become breeding ground for disease outbreak, due to the dirty stagnant and often slimy water in the open drains with its attendant bad odour.

-       Ignorant school children are prone to be victims of this deadly menace.

Cases of Incidents Caused by Manholes

An Abuja resident, Laide Kehinde, narrated how she was trapped in one of these sewage systems.

“I had the most terrible experience of my entire life that fateful night. It was around 11:00pm and at this time, it was pitch black. I tried using my phone to navigate my way out of the street to town and just when I thought the manholes were over and put off my phone torch, I saw myself fell deep into it.

I kept screaming but no one could hear me. I was stuck there for almost one hour. Mosquitoes bit me senselessly but I feared the most, let there be no rain or let snake not bite me in there. Cars were passing by but they all seem not to hear me at all. Finally, a Godsent lady that sells a local food delicacy, okpa, was passing by and saw me. She then went to get help.

She came back with three men who work at a bar close to where I was trapped. They pulled me out. It was an experience I shudder whenever flashes come back to me.”

Another victim, an uber driver, who identified himself as Daniel, recalled how his tyre stuck in a manhole, which broke his car rims;

“I was on high speed, although, not really that fast. I think I was running 80 kilometers per hour or thereabout. I was on the way to Apo, from Asokoro, to pick up someone. When I got to power House, close to Garki, the area was, as usual, dark and my lamps are not so bright.

I could not see any manhole. When I entered the hole with my tyre, it broke immediately.

I appeal to government to fix those life-threatening manholes before they become more serious problem not only for people trekking, but also to car owners. They have to do it with dispatch before those death traps claim more lives.

Safety Measures

-       Appropriate warning signs should be posted in such areas to alert the public about impending danger.

-       Manhole covers should be replaced immediately after use.

-       Physical barriers should be erected around an open manhole, like a blockade.

-       In critical cases of constant incidents, drastic measures should be taken, like totally closing the manhole.