LAHORE: In a bid to stop theft of manhole covers in Lahore and other major and small cities across the province, the government has started working out a legal framework/proposal seeking introduction of stricter legal measures amid imposition of heavy fines up to Rs100 million on those involved in the illicit trade of stone manhole covers.

The proposal is being worked out following repeated theft-related incidents of manhole covers leading to death of kids besides choking of the sewer lines.

“The price of a new manhole cover including the iron rings ranges between Rs8,000 and Rs12,000 or so. And the main attraction for thieves is the iron ring weighing up to 30kg (each) and the steel used in the concrete manhole cover worth thousands of rupees. It is also easy to steal, especially the iron ring,” an official source explained while talking to Dawn on Thursday.

“Thieves use to sell manhole covers, rings etc to factories, hardware shops and other businesses related to sewerage and other sorts of construction,” he said, adding that a number of incidents related to falling of kids in manholes and their deaths due to open manhole caused by theft cases.

Move envisages to penalise factories, scrap dealers

According to another official source, the decision to introduce stricter legal measures to curb the theft of manhole covers was taken following the organised criminal networks involved in the such incidents and illicit trade.

“In a recent meeting held at the housing & urban development and public health engineering department with presence of the managing directors of water and sanitation agencies and others concerned, it was shared that the thefts were not limited to isolated incidents but could involve organised groups engaged in the illegal sale of stolen covers through scrap markets,” the official said.

It was also decided that stricter laws would be proposed to address the issue and those found facilitating or benefiting from the illegal trade would be taken to task.

During the meeting, the participants also proposed a legal framework introducing stringent financial penalties, with fines running as high as Rs100m for factories, scrapyard owners and other entities found involved in the theft, resale or handling of stolen manhole covers in any form.

As part of the strategy, district-level special branch police teams would be taken on board to monitor and investigate the activities of suspected groups involved in the theft and resale of manhole covers. The aim, the official said, is to identify organised patterns rather than treating incidents as petty theft.

“During the meeting, MDs of Wasas were also directed to take the matter seriously and constitute special monitoring and response teams to prevent further losses and ensure public safety.

The participants said though a common perception generally associated manhole cover theft primarily with drug addicts, this assumption may allow organised groups to operate unnoticed, exploiting the misconception to avoid scrutiny,” the official, privy to the development, said.

Missing manhole covers pose serious risks to pedestrians and motorists, particularly during the monsoon season, and have been linked to fatal accidents in several cities in recent years.

He said the participants in the meeting were also unanimous to hold further consultations to finalise amendment(s) in the laws, rules and regulations and improve coordination among the departments concerned and civic agencies in this regard.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2025