GMDA replaces most of Iffco Chowk sewer pipe, sinkhole repair to take 3-4 days

A four-to-five-foot section has been kept open for desilting. Once leak testing is complete, the stretch will be handed to NHAI for road work.

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) on Sunday said it has replaced most of the damaged sewage pipeline at the Iffco Chowk sinkhole, barring a small four- to five-foot patch that has been kept open to allow desilting of the sewer line. The authority will test the new pipeline for leaks on Monday, after which the remaining patch will be closed and the damaged road repaired, officials added.They said it will take around three to four more days to completely repair the road, after which the sinkhole area will be filled and the road restored.

Officials said the damaged road will be repaired only after the pipeline is fully tested to prevent another cave-in at the busy junction. (ANI Video Grab)

A 1,000 mm master sewer line had collapsed at the Iffco Chowk service lane on the Delhi-to-Jaipur side on Tuesday, August 25, creating a large sinkhole and causing panic among commuters and congestion on the road. Two service lanes of the highway were barricaded following the incident and have remained closed since.

Following the collapse, GMDA began dewatering and diversion work before starting pipeline rehabilitation on Thursday, August 27. Officials said that once the pipeline is fully repaired and leak testing is completed, the stretch will be handed over to NHAI for road reconstruction. The repair of the road was earlier estimated to take another five to six days, potentially allowing the barricaded service lanes to reopen by the first week of September.

“The damaged portion of the pipeline has been replaced, and we are now removing the silt that had gathered at the spot or in the pipeline. A four- to five-foot portion of pipe will be patched later, and testing will be carried out on Monday to check any leakage. Once the pipe is fully repaired, then the process to repair the road will be started. It is taking some time, but we want to ensure there is no repeated cave-in at the spot,” said a senior GMDA official, aware of the matter.

Following the incident, GMDA officials said they have started surveying sewer pipelines across the city, and those found to be old and in dilapidated condition will either be upgraded or replaced.

“We have already floated the tender for upgrading the pipeline from Bakhtawar Chowk to Sector 46 cut. The sewage pipeline on Sohna Road will also be upgraded. We are also planning to upgrade the sewage pipeline from Iffco Chowk to Sikanderpur using MWSL technology,” said the GMDA official.