Civic body launches drive to cover all open manholes before monsoon

Time of India

05-05-2025

Patna: With the onset of the monsoon approaching, the
Patna Municipal Corporation
(PMC) has launched the second phase of its Open Manhole Free (OMF) campaign, an ambitious effort to cover all open and damaged manholes and catchpits in the city's 75 wards.
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Municipal officials described the initiative as a "herculean task," particularly as around 3-4% of the city's manholes were found broken during the last survey. The damage was attributed to ongoing infrastructure work and the pressure from heavy vehicles.
In preparation for the OMF 2.0 campaign, executive engineers from all six civic circles – Azimabad, Bankipur, Kankerbagh, New Capital, Patliputra, and Patna City – have formed teams to conduct a comprehensive survey of existing manholes and catchpits.
The goal is to ensure every ward qualifies as open manhole free.
To reinforce accountability, ward councillors will jointly sign off on final reports confirming that no open chambers remain in their areas. They will also be responsible for overseeing the quality and completion of the work.
Municipal commissioner Animesh Kumar Parashar said, "The team will survey all wards to ensure that all manholes have covers and all wards will soon be declared open manhole free.
Earlier, under the leadership of ward councillors, the PMC organised a cleanliness drive under the 'Mera Shehr, Meri Jawabdehi' (My City, My Responsibility) programme. Along with this, an 'OMF' campaign was conducted, during which most manholes were identified and covered."
To intensify efforts, 75 officers have been appointed at the headquarters level to monitor progress in each ward and report directly to the municipal commissioner.
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Councillors have been directed to coordinate closely with engineers to ensure any remaining open manholes are addressed without delay.
"To ensure that the survey and covering of manholes, along with their cleaning, is done efficiently, a mop-up round is being initiated. Under this, an additional 20 workers have been deployed in each ward to complete the previous work," Parashar added.
Residents have also been encouraged to take part in the initiative.
Any open manholes can be reported by calling the PMC helpline at 155304.
Patna's municipal area includes approximately 1.5 lakh drains, of which around 85,000 are manholes and 65,000 are catchpits. As part of OMF 2.0, traditional chamber lids will be replaced with durable precast structures, offering better strength, crack resistance and concrete support for improved safety and longevity.