E-Paper
Ludhiana: Model Town road cave-in triggers traffic chaos
The cave-in on the Model House main road in Model Town led to traffic congestion in the area, which is both posh and heavily frequented
The season’s first spell of winter rain has exposed glaring vulnerabilities in underground services and road restoration works in parts of the city, prompting the municipal corporation to step in and undertake repairs. On Republic Day, a portion of the main road in the busy Model House market caved in, disrupting traffic movement in the area.
Earlier, a similar incident of road subsidence was reported near the residence of minister Sanjeev Arora, which was attended to and repaired the same day. In the Model House case, the cave-in occurred on January 26, when most MC staff were on holiday. As an immediate safety measure, water tankers and flower pots were placed over the affected stretch to warn commuters. Civic body teams reached the spot on Tuesday morning and began repair work.
The cave-in on the Model House main road in Model Town led to traffic congestion in the area, which is both posh and heavily frequented. Residents said the incident underscored the need for swifter response and better coordination among departments, particularly in high-traffic zones.
Activist Arvind Sharma said drilling work for laying pipelines on busy roads requires closer technical supervision. He pointed out that in several areas, underground water and sewer lines have been damaged during drilling, creating hollow spaces beneath the road surface and significantly increasing the risk of subsidence. He cited a recent incident on Tajpur Road where a car got stuck after a road caved in, and another cave-in reported on the night of January 25 at Model House, where water was found flowing beneath the road surface.
After receiving information, MC officials inspected the site and ensured temporary covering of the affected stretch. Proper barricading was subsequently put in place and repair work was taken up.
Superintending engineer of the O&M cell, Ekjot Singh, said the work began with a slight delay due to unavoidable reasons, but MC teams remained at the site till late evening to restore the road at the earliest.
Sharma also called for a comprehensive quality audit of works being carried out under the World Bank-assisted 24x7 water supply project, stressing that roads must be properly restored after pipeline work to ensure public safety.
Municipal corporation officials, meanwhile, maintained that necessary corrective measures are being taken and assured that repairs would be completed soon to provide relief to residents and commuters.
