Traffic jam after MB Road section in south Delhi caves in, trapping bus in crater

DJB said that a new sewer line was laid down two days ago, but it was not layered properly. Water flow weakened the section, and it caved in when the bus passed

A section of the Mehrauli-Badarpur road near the Saket Metro station caved in around 7am on Wednesday, trapping a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus in the crater and causing a five-and-a-half-hours-long traffic jam on the carriageway going from Khanpur to Mehrauli.

The bus was removed from the crater by 12.30pm on Mehrauli-Badarpur Road in New Delhi on Wednesday. (PTI)

While the bus was removed at 12.30pm, the traffic disruptions continued till late evening due to repairs on the damaged section. Traffic jams were observed on Ignou Road and MB Road from Saket Metro station to the Mandir Marg intersection.

Bhupender Kumar, the bus driver, said, “When we started moving after dropping off passengers at the Metro station, the road caved in and the bus got stuck. There was no pothole on the road before the road caved in. I was driving very slowly and there were only four-five passengers on board.” The route number 419 bus was on its way from Kashmere Gate to Lado Sarai.

In an advisory, the Delhi traffic police said: “Traffic is affected on MB Road in the carriageway from Khanpur towards Mehrauli due to the breakdown of a bus near the Saket Metro station. Kindly plan your journey accordingly.” Police added that traffic movement resumed after the bus was removed.

A Delhi Jal Board (DJB) official said that a new sewer line was laid down at the site two days ago. “It appears that the layering of the filling material was not carried out properly and the flow of water led to erosion of the fresh soil. When the wheels of the bus passed over the weakened section, the road caved in. We are redoing the filling work,” the official said.

“Pits were created to lay pipelines when the pit-to-pit cave in happened. We have been told that DJB is working on the repairs. We are helping them with resources,” said a PWD official.

Several commuters vented their frustration on social media website X. “Traffic is barely moving on this route. Passing through this stretch is a hell for residents for months! We can’t even imagine what monsoon will bring,” posted Preeti Arora. “Agencies should solve this problem by finding a permanent solution to the daily traffic jam going to Ignou Road from Mehrauli-Badarpur Road. People going to Ignou University and Saket were unable to reach on time,” said Vinay Sehgal, another commuter.

In a second traffic advisory, the Delhi Traffic Police said heavy vehicles are restricted from travelling on the Mandi Road from Gadaipur police post towards MG Road and vice versa, as requested by PWD, due to work underway on a drainage system. However, other vehicles will be allowed on the route, it said. Buses and heavy vehicles coming from Mandi village and adjoining areas will be diverted from Mandi Road towards Bandh Road and Sant Shri Nagpal Marg to reach MG Road and south Delhi, the advisory said.