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Ludhiana: Civic body defers blacktopping, road repair near Sagoo Chowk amid rains
The civic body fears further soil settlement amid heavy rain; temporary measures in place of road that collapsed in June
Fearing another cave-in during the ongoing monsoon, the municipal corporation has deferred permanent repairs and blacktopping of the road near Onn Hotel at Sagoo Chowk, where a section collapsed on June 26. The damaged stretch has only received temporary repairs so far.
The cave-in, measuring around 10 feet in width and 12 feet in depth, was caused by soil erosion beneath the road after a sewer breach. According to the MC, a 12-inch water-supply pipe running beneath the road had developed cracks at several points, causing water to leak into the surrounding soil.
The water pressure gradually eroded the soil and weakened the brick wall of the sewer. The wall eventually collapsed, allowing soil to flow into the sewer and leaving a hollow beneath the road, resulting in the cave-in.
“This is the rainy season. There are fears that the soil may further settle or even cave in in case of heavy rains. So we will only cover the damaged section after the rainy season, next month perhaps,” said Sham Lal Gupta, superintendent engineer, Buildings and Roads Cell, Zone D, MC.
The civic body is also grappling with repeated cave-ins along the trunk sewer network, particularly in Kitchlu Nagar.
Officials suspect that portions of the sewer may have been punctured during drilling for the laying of optical-fibre cables.
The MC has identified cave-in-prone spots along around 40 km of sewer lines across the city.
MC commissioner Ojasvi Ajankar has ordered a safety review of the sewer around manhole portals, with particular focus on a 2,100-metre trunk sewer stretching from Haibowal Chowk to Ferozepur Road. The 2,850-mm sewer passes through Kitchlu Nagar, Maharaj Nagar, Gurdev Nagar, Prem Nagar, Tagore Nagar and the Punjab Agricultural University, besides sections beneath DMC Road and Ferozepur Road.
The nearly 50-year-old brick sewer cannot be replaced easily, prompting the MC to explore its rehabilitation.
The civic body is preparing proposals to reinforce the sewer with concrete from the sides to improve its structural strength. The proposal will be sent to the state government for approval.
The MC estimates that the rehabilitation could cost around ₹50 crore per kilometre.
