Russian regional water company Primorsky Vodokanal will place 500 Chinese-produced fiberglass manhole covers in the city of Vladivostok in a bid to resolve the huge problem of ongoing thefts of cast iron covers.
"People and animals frequently fall into open manholes, car wheels get stuck in them," the company's spokeswoman, Yulia Ignatenko said, adding that thieves would not be interested in stealing fiberglass covers.
Metal objects such as manhole covers, railroad tracks, copper wiring and high-voltage overhead electricity lines are often stolen and turned in for "scrap metal" recycling, giving some jobless individuals an income.
The company has suffered substantial losses since the beginning of 2011 with more that 360 manhole covers stolen throughout the city.
