Massive road cave-in in Ludhiana's Kitchlu Nagar triggers house evacuation and traffic chaos
Ludhiana, August 7
A massive sinkhole, several feet deep, appeared on a road in the Kitchlu Nagar area of Ludhiana on Wednesday, prompting the local administration to order the immediate evacuation of an adjacent house and the total suspension of traffic on the stretch.
Municipal Corporation (MC) Ludhiana Commissioner Ojaswi Alankar visited the site and stated that a technical investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the major road cave-in. Preliminary assessments by engineers suggest that the damage may be linked to the laying of optical fibre cables near the city's sewer infrastructure.
Speaking to reporters, Alankar said, "Look, this is a matter of inquiry as to what the actual reason was and how such a major road cave-in occurred. But at the same time, what appears preliminary to us from looking at the site and what the engineers have told me is that some optical fibre cables were laid near our brick sewer."
The Commissioner added that it remains unclear when the cables were laid, but emphasised that the work might have compromised a manhole.
"Now, I don't know whether they were laid three years ago or six months ago--that is a matter of inquiry. It also needs to be seen who laid them, as it isn't clear just by looking at the wires. But it is possible that due to that, a manhole was damaged, leading to leakage, which started the erosion, and that is why the road caved in," he explained.
Addressing the safety of residents, the MC chief confirmed that the portion of the road was declared unsafe. "We have already informed them [the residents of the adjacent house] that this portion is unsafe, so please evacuate it," he noted.
Alankar further assured, "Responsibility will definitely be fixed if someone has damaged our trunk line infrastructure because it causes harassment and inconvenience to the public."
On the ground, traffic police have cordoned off the area and diverted vehicles to alternative routes to prevent any accidents.
ADCP Traffic Gurpreet Kaur Purewal stated that diversions have been implemented at Rajpura Chowk and the cut near Popley Sweets leading toward Old DMC.
"As soon as this came to my notice around 9:00 or 9:30 AM, we immediately implemented traffic diversions from Rajpura Chowk and the cut near Popley Sweets that leads towards Old DMC. At the current spot, the force from the PAU Police Station is deployed to prevent the crowd from moving forward. Our necessary diversions are active, and they will remain in place until a solution is found. I request the public who usually take the route from PAU Gate No. 4 to Rajpura Chowk to avoid this stretch. They should instead use Hambran Road or the routes from Swami Road or Thaggu Chowk," Purewal said.
Departmental teams from the Municipal Corporation have already begun repair work on the site, while police personnel from the PAU Police Station remain deployed to manage the crowds gathering near the crater.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The real issue is the lack of coordination between agencies. One department lays cables, another handles sewer, and nobody talks to each other. I'm glad the MC acted quickly to evacuate the house and divert traffic, but this is just a patchwork solution. We need proper planning before digging up roads.
Living in Punjab, I've seen so many roads cave in or collapse after cable-laying work. The contractors are never held accountable. Kudos to Commissioner Alankar for at least speaking openly about the manhole damage. But mere investigation won't help—we need quick repair and compensation for affected residents.
This is so scary! Imagine walking and suddenly the road collapses beneath you. Thank God no one was hurt. But honestly, the MC needs to check all such vulnerable spots in the city, especially where cables are laid near sewer lines. Prevention is better than reacting after a disaster. 😟
The ADCP's quick response with diversions is appreciated. But the question is—why does it take a road cave-in for authorities to pay attention? These cables should have been inspected when they were laid. And who gave permission for the digging? Someone must be accountable, not just "probe" it endlessly.
I'm not surprised at all. In our cities, every private company digs up roads without any regard for existing infrastructure. The MC should have strict rules and penalties for such companies. The poor residents of that house are the real victims—they've been evacuated from their home without any clarity on when they can return. Very sad. 😔
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