KARACHI: A week after three-year-old Ibrahim tragically died after falling into an uncovered manhole in Gulshan-e-Iqbal’s Nipa area, Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab announced on Monday that every Union Committee across the city will receive a dedicated Rs100,000 per month exclusively for installing manhole covers and repairing streetlights.
The decision comes amid widespread public outrage and demands for immediate action to prevent further child deaths. Speaking to reporters, the mayor revealed that although UCs previously received Rs500,000 monthly for neighbourhood issues — later increased to Rs1.2 million by the Sindh government — much of the funds were diverted to salaries or deemed insufficient.
“After the Nipa tragedy, we have ring-fenced Rs100,000 per UC purely for manhole covers and streetlights starting December,” Wahab said, stressing that the special allocation aims to ensure accountability and swift resolution of these life-threatening hazards.