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COSTARICANEWS
| Thursday 02 September 2010 |
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13.000
Manholes
Without
Covers
In San
José
Alone
Besides
having
to dodge
potholes,
drivers
have to
also be
wary of
missing
manholes
covers.
In San
José
alone it
is
estimated
that
13.000
manholes
are
completely
open,
without
a cover,
assumed
stolen
by
thieves
who
trade
the
metal
for
cash.
Municipalities
say they
are
continually
replacing
manhole
covers,
but
cannot
keep up
with the
pace of
thefts
and curb
the
problem.
The
municipalidad
de San
José
says it
spends
on
average
˘35
million
colones
a year
to
replace
manhole
covers.
Marco
Solórzano,
head of
the
Alcantarillado
Pluvial
de San
José,
however,
says
there
are no
exact
figures
on how
many
covers
are
replaced
a year.
In some
cases
manholes
covers
are
welded
on or
tied
down
with
heavy
chain
links to
hamper
criminals,
especiall
drug
addicts
who see
the
manhole
covers
as a way
for some
quick
cash.
In some
cases,
on
streets
with
less
traffic,
plastic
covers
are
being
used.
The lack
of
manhole
covers,
in
addition
to being
a hazard
for
drivers,
also
mean
that the
sewer
systems
fill up
with
refuse
and plug
up,
contributing
to the
flooding
during
heavy
rain
fall.
When all
is said
and
done,
there
seems to
be no
solution
in
sight.
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