Murtaza Wahab, the Mayor of Karachi, has announced a new allotment of funds for every Union Committee (UC): PKR 100,000 per month exclusively for covering open manholes and installing streetlights.
The decision comes in the wake of mounting public outrage after a tragic incident in which a young child died falling into an uncovered manhole in the city. Previously, UCs were receiving general-purpose funds—originally PKR 500,000 monthly and later increased to PKR 1.2 million—but many complained these funds were diverted to salaries or other expenses rather than infrastructure work.
Under the new arrangement, the funds are strictly earmarked for safety-related infrastructure: manhole covers and streetlights. The allocation comes into effect from December and aims to reduce risks of accidents and improve public safety in residential neighbourhoods.