STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Citizens have seen metal sheets or pipes welded together used as covers for manholes and culverts in several parts of the city in place of concrete plates or fibre boards. But these covers grow weaker with time due to corrosion, and this creates the possibility of an accident taking place and injuring unsuspecting drivers or pedestrians, or even worse.
In several parts of the city, the agencies in charge of the construction of roads and drains leave parts of the infrastructure covered with metal structures. Although these structures have high strength, good enough to withstand the necessary loads, they are not meant to be a permanent replacement for concrete. With the passage of time, they get corroded and continue to become weaker until they become unable to carry enough weight.
It has been noticed in many parts of the city that a few of the individual pipes have been bent by force, leaving a gaping hole. In some other places, more than one such pipe has been seen to have been damaged over time, making the hole bigger. Some of the damages are caused by heavier than allowed vehicles passing over the same. Such damages are visible in places where such structures are used to cover drainage channels or culverts. Another problem seen in such structures is that the cover does not fit the exact size necessary, leaving gaps on the sides.
Such problems often lead to people slipping into them by mistake, and such incidents have the possibility of causing massive injuries and sometimes even death. People falling through such structures are at risk of severely fracturing their limbs, apart from the apparent cuts that will be caused by the metal. The same is the case with vehicles. Two-wheelers can very well skid into these holes or break through the weak areas of the structure. These incidents can lead to the bursting of the tyres and even worse damage. The same is possible when the wheels of four-wheelers manage to get caught in these holes or side gaps.
Such structures are present in several parts of the city, including Kahilipara, Hatigaon, Bhagadattapur, Nayanpur, and multiple other spots. Local people have mentioned that these structures are a disaster waiting to happen and demanded that the authorities concerned take steps immediately to replace them with proper concrete plates.
One person residing near the DPI office in Kahilipara mentioned, “I have to cover that almost damaged cover every day, and every day I wonder if this metal structure will give way and I will get stuck in it, or even worse. It is high time that the authorities take action against the organisations neglecting their work.”
Another person shared his experience and said, “We were going back home from Bhagadattapur when one of the wheels of my car got stuck in the gap between the metal structure and the concrete around it. With the help of a passing vehicle, we were able to finally rescue ourselves from the situation after more than an hour of trying.”
With such incidents repeating in multiple parts of the city, it is just a matter of time before something even worse takes place. It also remains to be seen if the authorities take note of these faulty structures and take corrective steps before it is too late.
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