Water supply line leakages to blame for most cave-ins, locals seek city-wide inspection
Two fresh road cave-ins at busy locations in Ludhiana on Monday have again raised concerns over the condition of city roads, with residents and shopkeepers pointing to water-supply leakages and underground utility problems as possible reasons behind the repeated sinking of roads.
A portion of Pakhowal Road near Imperial Hotel caved in while another road portion near Kailash Chowk also sank during the day. Both stretches witness heavy traffic, making the sudden appearance of damaged portions a safety concern for motorists, particularly two-wheeler riders.
Residents said road cave-ins were being reported at different locations after underground water-supply and sewerage problems. They demanded that the Municipal Corporation carry out a city-wide technical inspection of roads, water-supply lines, sewerage networks and drainage points to identify vulnerable stretches before they develop into major cave-ins.
The latest incident on Pakhowal Road has also brought back memories of a major cave-in reported at the same stretch around six months ago. Residents said a nearly 10-foot portion of the road had caved in, following which the issue was highlighted and the MC recarpeted the road.
Rohit Verma, a resident of Pakhowal Road, said the recurrence needed a closer examination. “The road was repaired and re-carpeted only around six months ago after a major cave-in. If it has started sinking again, the problem may be below the road. There could be leakage in the water-supply or sewerage pipes, making the soil soft. The MC should find the actual cause,” he said.
Another commuter, Arvind Sharma, said repeated repairs would not solve the problem unless underground infrastructure was checked. “A busy road cannot be left to develop a depression again and again. The authorities should inspect the entire stretch and fix the leakage, if any, before restoring the surface,” he said.
Dimpy Bhatia, a shopkeeper near Kailash Chowk said: “A road cave-in reported on Monday and we have informed the MC officials regarding the same but later officials deployed teams and the cave-in was repaired in the evening”.
Executive Engineer Randeep Singh said: “We are already identifying the problem in the area where leakages are making roads vulnerable. So far, the affected point has been closed to avoid any accidents. We have made the road cave-in covered with barricades to avoid any untoward situation”.