KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC), headed by Justice Adnan-ul-Karim Memon, has strictly directed local authorities and the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) to implement immediate and permanent solutions for open manholes and severe sewage overflow issues in Liaquatabad, Karachi. The directive came in response to a petition detailing how missing manhole covers and flooded streets have endangered citizens for months, despite repeated complaints to the Karachi Mayor and KMC. While the SSWMB defended its efforts by citing grand cleanup operations conducted earlier in the year and promised to cover the open manholes, the court firmly remarked that routine garbage collection does not resolve serious infrastructure hazards. The SHC emphasized that public bodies are legally obligated to protect the lives, health, and dignity of citizens, and any failure to do so constitutes administrative negligence. Consequently, the court mandated municipal bodies to permanently secure all open manholes, repair leaking sewage systems, clear affected roads, and establish regular inspection protocols. The judges explicitly stressed that civic measures must provide lasting, permanent relief rather than mere cosmetic or superficial interventions.
