It is a strange kind of tragedy when a city begins to lose not just its infrastructure but its soul.In the heart of Srinagar,more than forty-five manhole covers have been stolen,not from the outskirts,not from abandoned roads,but from the very veins of the city.These are not just missing slabs of metal,they are missing pieces of responsibility,of conscience,of us.

The most recent theft,caught on CCTV,shows a man in an auto-rickshaw calmly stealing manhole covers like it is the most normal thing in the world. This is not just about stolen metal.This is about what we have become.Every stolen manhole cover is a mirror we refuse to look into.A reflection not just of poverty or desperation,but of the growing numbness to others safety.We blame the government.We curse the system.But the system is made of us.
We like to talk about “Smart Cities”,cameras on every pole,shiny new footpaths,digital boards.But what is the use of all this if the people in the city are not smart enough to care?What is the point of technology when basic humanity is missing?
These manholes now left open,are a threat to everyone,children walking to school,elders,women,mothers carrying babies,everyone.Every open hole is a trap.A risk and a life waiting to be lost.
Officials from the Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL) say their engineers have been out fixing these manholes day and night,not as part of their duty,but because they are afraid someone will fall in and get hurt. But should public safety depend on engineers playing vigilantes?
Smart cities need smart people and more importantly wise,aware and empathetic people.We are not failing because our technology is weak.We are failing because our sense of community is collapsing.
Today it is manhole covers.Tomorrow it could be electric wires,traffic signals,or worse,our tolerance for criminality disguised as helplessness.It is time to stop just building “smart infrastructure” and start rebuilding citizen character.The city is trying to be smart.Now it is our turn.