Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A road known for VIP movement, stretching from the old Aquarium to Minto Hall, caved in following leakage from a 5 MGD (million gallons per day) raw water pipeline running from Kamla Park (Upper Lake) to the Vidhan Sabha filter plant.
The area falls under Ward No. 34 of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC). Police barricaded the stretch, suspending traffic towards Minto Hall from the Lower Lake side.
According to locals, the incident occurred in the afternoon when the entire road was flooded. Traffic police swung into action and stopped vehicles by placing barricades near the Aquarium.
Despite the road caving in and becoming waterlogged, traffic was not halted immediately. The convoy of Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar also passed through the damaged stretch. Vehicles continued to ply, raising the risk of a major accident.
The strong flow of water washed away soil and debris from the roadside, scattering it across the carriageway. The accumulation of stones and gravel made the road extremely slippery. Several two-wheeler riders skidded, while others had narrow escapes.
Udit Garg, superintending engineer (water supply), BMC, said, “We have two water supply lines at Lok Bhavan. One goes to the BHEL filter plant, passing adjacent to the Lok Bhavan wall, and the second goes to the Vidhan Sabha filter plant from Kamla Park. This raw water pipeline leaked, leading to road damage in front of Lok Bhavan.”
