Shafaq News-Baghdad

Stolen manholecovers are turning Baghdad's streets into hidden death traps, with opendrainage shafts swallowing pedestrians in broad daylight across residentialneighborhoods in the Iraqi capital.

Thieves stripiron covers from sewage access points to sell to recycling facilities andsmelting plants operating outside Baghdad, where enforcement is thin, and scrapmetal fetches quick cash. Left uncovered, the shafts are invisible to anyonewalking at night or distracted, particularly children.

Ali Mohammed,18, described losing his footing as he walked his younger brother to a nearbyshop in the Jihad district of western Baghdad. "I didn't feel anythinguntil my foot slipped into the drain that had no cover," Mohammed toldShafaq News. He held onto his brother as he fell, keeping the child fromdropping in entirely. "Fortunately, I caught my brother tightly to stophim from falling all the way in; I only got a few small scratches." Hesaid the same shaft had been fitted with a replacement iron cap multiple timesand stolen every time.

A neighbor, UmmNour, 32, told Shafaq News that the thefts had effectively confined herchildren indoors. "I don't let my children go out to play on their ownbecause I'm afraid they'll fall into the sewer shaft near our house," shesaid. Her own attempts to seal the opening, including a concrete pour over aniron cover, failed within a day. The cover was gone by morning.

BaghdadMunicipality acknowledged a sharp recent rise in thefts. Spokesman Udaial-Jandeel confirmed to Shafaq News that the authority is coordinating with theInterior Ministry and security forces to stake out active theft zones andarrest those responsible, and that replacement covers are being installed asthefts are reported. He added that several suspects have already been detainedand charged, and the thefts are sustained by a supply chain that depends oncomplicity: smelting plants outside the city continue purchasing the stolenpublic property.

"Thesmelting plants located outside Baghdad deal with thieves in buying manholecovers, which are public property that must be preserved."