WSSP books 3 for stealing iron gratings, geo membrane

PESHAWAR: Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) has filed a first information report (FIR) with police against two Afghan nationals who attempted to steal geo membrane from the Sanitary Landfill Cell in Garhi Faizullah.

The FIR was filed at Urmar Police Station, and both individuals were arrested on the spot here Thursday. Additionally, the company filed another FIR at Hashtnagri Police Station against Khalid, a resident of Bakhshu Pul Charsadda, for stealing iron gratings from manholes in various localities of the city.

A spokesman for WSSP said such acts of theft are not only causing financial losses to the company, but it also threatens the safety of passersby.

To combat the issue, WSSP has launched a crackdown in collaboration with city police, district administration, and local government representatives. The company has covered thousands of manholes across the city with iron gratings, which have become a lucrative and easy target for thieves, especially drug addicts.

The theft of iron gratings not only causes losses worth millions to the company but also leaves passersby vulnerable to fatal accidents. To address this issue, WSSP has started replacing iron gratings with concrete covers, but the addicts even break them to get iron out of them.

According to WSSP spokesperson Hassan Ali, most theft cases are reported in Faqirabad and adjacent localities falling under Zone-A and Gulbahar areas that fall under Zone-B, where thieves steal 15 to 20 iron gratings and RCC slabs of different sizes. Additionally, two to three iron gratings and RCC slabs are being stolen daily in Zone-C. Per cubic feet, an iron grating costs the company Rs5000 and an RCC slab costs Rs1000.