Published on: November 17, 2024
Recently, a villager in Shigou Village, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, posted a video on social media claiming that newly replaced manhole covers on village roads were of such poor quality that they would “shatter at the slightest touch.” This raised concerns about safety for residents using the roads. What led to such defective manhole covers being installed? Here’s an investigation by CCTV reporters.
“Paper-like” Manhole Covers Fail to Meet Weight Requirements
On November 14, Chen Lianrun, a resident of Shigou Village, shared a video showing the manhole covers being so light that they could be lifted with one hand, and a shovel could break them with little effort.
The video quickly gained attention online, with netizens dubbing the defective manhole covers as “paper-like” and questioning why such recently replaced covers were of such poor quality.
Footage taken by villagers revealed that the damaged manhole cover was designated as a B125 type. According to national standards, a B125 manhole cover is rated for a load of 12.5 tons and is typically used for sidewalks, non-motorized vehicles, and small car parking lots. For village main roads used by motor vehicles, covers should at least be C250 type (25 tons) or D400 type (40 tons). This means the manhole covers shown in the video could only support half of the required weight.
Construction Company: “Qualified Covers Out of Stock, Temporarily Purchased Cheaper Ones”
How did these clearly inadequate manhole covers end up on the road?
Reporters learned that the affected area was part of a newly constructed road under a safety protection project for Shigou Village, which had not yet been officially accepted. The new road spans 525.5 meters and cost 2.5411 million yuan, aimed at improving the uneven road conditions and addressing issues with rainwater and sewage pipes frequently breaking due to ground settlement. The project contract stipulated the installation of three new sewage wells and manhole covers, but the village also requested replacements for 40 damaged covers outside the contract.
During construction, four manhole covers were damaged. The village requested that the contractor replace these four covers, but the supplier was out of stock for the 40-ton covers. Consequently, the project leader instructed workers to buy cheaper, temporary covers.
Acknowledgment of Non-compliance by Project Leaders
Under the directive of project head Zhang Xiaohai, workers purchased four B125 manhole covers at a unit price of 160 yuan, replacing the damaged ones in accordance with village requests. Even as temporary solutions, these B125 covers should provide some level of safety. However, the installation workers were aware of the covers’ inadequate specifications and noted that the quality was clearly substandard, with a noticeably low weight.
Zhang Xiaohai, the head of the construction company, admitted, “We all knew these covers were not compliant. We thought we’d just use these until the proper ones arrived.”
Despite knowing the covers were substandard, the construction team proceeded to install the inadequate covers, operating under the hope that they would soon be replaced. On November 13, during a tree-planting event, heavy equipment caused one cover to crack, prompting a villager to record a video and share it online.
Covers Replaced Following Public Outcry
CCTV reporters visited Shigou Village and found that the problematic manhole cover had already been replaced. They also spoke with Chen Lianrun, the villager who filmed the initial video. He confirmed that not only the cover shown in the video but also three others had issues and had all been replaced within a day of the video’s publication.
Joint Investigation Launched into Responsible Parties and Cover Quality
Currently, local authorities, including the disciplinary inspection commission, market supervision, and housing and urban-rural development departments, have formed a joint investigative team to examine the responsibilities of those involved. Additionally, the four defective manhole covers have been sent to a professional institution for evaluation, and tracing the production and sales of the covers is underway.
The situation highlights the hidden risks of damaged manhole covers, which can lead to serious accidents and safety hazards. A defective cover can expose individuals to dangers, including toxic gas accumulation and potential falls into underground spaces, which are often poorly ventilated and may contain hazardous materials.
Conclusion
The poor quality of these manhole covers not only raises questions about oversight and compliance in local construction practices but also underscores the imperative for stringent quality control measures to protect public safety. Authorities must ensure that such lapses do not recur, safeguarding the welfare of the community.