Manhole Cover Thefts Pose Danger to Athletes and Horse Riders in Northern Governorate

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

The recurring theft of manhole covers and fiber optic cable covers in the Northern Governorate is raising serious safety concerns, particularly for athletes and horse riders.

Abdullah Ashoor, a member of the Northern Governorate Municipal Council, is calling for innovative and permanent solutions to curb this escalating problem, heighlighting to the Daily Tribune the repeated thefts along Road 12 in Salmabad and Shaikh Zayed Highway in the sixth constituency of the Northern Governorate.
He expressed concern that even recent welding efforts to secure manhole covers in Buri near the tunnel and the road adjacent to Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Highway haven't deterred thieves.

"The recent spate of manhole cover thefts in the Buri-A'ali agricultural area has created a truly dangerous situation for our community. Joggers, walkers, and especially horse riders are at significant risk of serious injury or even death from falling into these uncovered holes.

"This isn't just an inconvenience; it's a matter of public safety. Addressing this requires a collaborative effort between residents, the municipality, and other relevant authorities. We need to work together to find a lasting solution, and I urge all residents to report any incidents of missing manhole covers to the authorities immediately," Ashoor stated to the Daily Tribune.

Abdullah Hassan, a horse breeder and active social media user, echoed these concerns. “Welding alone isn't enough. We need a permanent solution, like replacing the metal manhole covers near the farms and the Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Highway tunnel with concrete ones. The rainy season makes the missing covers even more dangerous for horse riders and drivers, and the risk of serious injury is too high to ignore,” Hassan stated.