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Ludhiana: Road caves in near Mintgumri Chowk after ‘botched’ cable work
MC officials say telecom cables punctured sewers, causing water seepage that weakened the road foundation
A road cave-in near Mintgumri Chowk in Model Town on Saturday morning exposed a 10-foot crater, after a portion of the road collapsed due to structural failure in an underground sewer chamber—allegedly triggered by careless cable drilling by a private firm.
Municipal Corporation officials who reached the spot said the collapse was caused by three walls of a stormwater sewer chamber giving way. The failure, according to initial findings, resulted from underground telecom cables puncturing the sewer system during drilling work, allowing water to seep into the soil and weaken the road foundation.
“Three walls of the chamber have caved in, and the manhole is filled with debris,” said Randeep Singh, sub-divisional officer (O&M Cell).
“We found telecom cables running close to the damage, and the roots of a Peepal tree had reached the chamber as well. Fortunately, no one was injured. Our teams are on-site and repair work is in progress.”
“The actual depth is yet to be fully measured, but it appears to be over 10 feet.” he added.
Local shopkeepers and residents expressed anger at the Municipal Corporation for neglecting pre-monsoon maintenance. They alleged that stormwater drains and gullies had not been cleaned, resulting in waterlogging after Friday’s heavy rain—further weakening the road surface.
Activist Arvind Sharma, who was the first to discover the crater, blamed repeated civic apathy. “I’ve raised this issue many times—poor drainage and reckless digging are a dangerous mix. A similar situation is developing in Model Town market too,” he warned.
The incident has renewed demands for tighter regulation of underground utility work and highlighted the urgent need for preventive infrastructure checks ahead of the rainy season. Civic officials said the matter would be reviewed and stricter guidelines will be implemented going forward.
Sharma questioned why private firms are allowed to drill and lay underground cables just before the monsoon season. “These machines often damage existing sewer lines, and the consequences are becoming visible in several parts of the city,” he added.
