Deputies at the Shanghai Committee of China People's Political Consultative Conference are suggesting the city government impose severe punishment on thieves who steal manhole covers.

They have submitted a proposal for their suggestion in order to prevent accidents in which pedestrians fell into the uncovered manholes and were injured or even died.

Yin xiaohu, a member of the Shanghai Committee of CPPCC, said: "We hope the government will enforce the supervision over waste recycling centers and impose harsh punishment on the thieves."

The attraction of the cast iron manhole covers is that they command 1.3 yuan (16 US cents) per kilogram at illegal waste recycling stations. At a weight of about 25 kilograms, stealing and selling manhole covers has proved to be a profitable pastime among thieves and migrants from other cities.

Zhu jiong, a Municipal Water Resources Bureau official, revealed that within the past 45 days, 1,826 manhole covers had been stolen, causing an economic loss of about 460,000 yuan.

"But even worse than the economic loss, manholes without covers endanger pedestrians, especially at night or those people with poor sight," Zhu said.

According to the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, since June, eight people have fallen into uncovered manholes which lead to underground drainage facilities or other public utilities pipeline. Among them, a four-year-old boy and an old woman in her eighties were drowned.

Stealing manhole covers is treated as an ordinary theft case and the punishment is imposed according to the value of what was stolen.

For example, a man arrested for stealing the covers was released 15 days later, according to Zhu.

On the other hand, some waste recycling stations see manhole covers as easy money and will buy them with full awareness that the covers were illegally removed.

The shanghai Waste Materials Recycling Trade Association and the Public Security Bureau both have regulations that forbid waste recycling stations from receiving cast iron sold by individuals.

"Only illegal stations which are not members of our trade association would get involved in such dealings. We are sorry but it's out of our control," said Huang Jianqing, head of the trade association.

"The government is pressing ahead and new regulations to mobilize concerned administrative sectors will come up probably by the end of this year," Huang added.

(Shanghai Daily January 29, 2004)