Shanghai is piloting intelligent manhole covers in Jiading district to prevent accidents caused by missing manhole covers following reports of victims falling into manholes after the covers had been stolen or washed away by floods, Eastday.com reported on Thursday.

Equipped with a sensor, the smart manhole covers can detect when a cover is open and monitor water levels in the manhole.

Once a cover is tilted at a certain angle or the water level exceeds a certain level, the sensor will be triggered and send automatic alerts to a management platform.

On receiving alerts, the platform will locate the specific manhole and send maintenance staff to attend to the issue.

Intelligent covers have been trialled on two streets in Jiading district.

The report said smart manhole covers are economical and convenient, so can be installed across a large area.