Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Another road has literally lost the ground beneath it in Indore. A portion of the road in Pardeshipura caved in on Tuesday, leaving a deep pit and a concrete slab hanging over. The incident happened near a drainage chamber in Lane No. 3; it is the fifth such in just four months. Officials suspect ageing drainage system, while leakage and faulty backfilling are also being examined.
Following information about the collapse, the Indore Municipal Corporation’s Public Works Department sent an engineer to inspect the site.
Municipal officials suspect that an old drainage chamber or drainage line may have caused the cave-in. Although the underground drainage network is old, the chamber cover appears relatively new. Officials are yet to determine whether leakage from the drainage line washed away the soil or whether improper backfilling during earlier repair work created the hollow.
Locals said the road had collapsed at the same location about a year ago. The chamber was repaired and the cavity filled with soil at the time. The road giving way again has now raised questions over the quality of the earlier repairs.
Old Drainage Lines, Poor Backfilling Behind Cave-Ins
Experts said that leakage from old underground drainage lines can gradually wash away the surrounding soil, creating empty spaces beneath roads. Improper backfilling after repairs can also lead to soil erosion. Eventually, vehicle pressure can cause the concrete surface to collapse.
Similar incidents have recently been reported from Meghdoot Garden, Gorakund, Gaadi Adda, Nasia Road and Pandharinath, putting the condition of Indore’s underground drainage infrastructure under renewed scrutiny.
