Sohna Road caves in again as dumper gets stuck at damaged stretch

The stretch has seen at least six previous cave-ins since December 2023, with the latest major collapse reported on May 5 this year.

A portion of Sohna Road near SD Adarsh School suffered a minor cave-in on Monday evening after a dumper carrying building material got stuck at the spot, prompting NHAI to barricade and repair the damaged stretch. The location has witnessed at least seven cave-ins, with NHAI and GMDA having earlier decided to undertake a comprehensive repair of the dilapidated master sewage pipeline underneath the road, officials said.

The latest damage took place near SD Adarsh School, where the road has suffered repeated collapses linked to the ageing sewer pipeline. (HT Photo)

Yogesh Tilak, project director, NHAI, said the road was immediately barricaded and the damaged portion repaired. “During the inspection it was found that a dumper carrying construction material for repairing the same stretch had got stuck, due to which the road was damaged. There has been no settlement, but the lane will remain closed to traffic to prevent any incident,” he said.

The road section that caved in (left) and the same stretch after repairs later on Monday. (HT)

The latest incident comes after the same portion collapsed on May 5 due to damage to the sewer line, forcing two highway lanes to be barricaded. NHAI and GMDA subsequently decided that NHAI would undertake comprehensive repairs of the sewer pipeline after temporary repairs.

Tilak said the proposal to permanently repair the master sewer line from Rajiv Chowk to Sheeshpal Vihar has been approved at a cost of ₹58 crore. “The master sewer line and the road have been repaired on a temporary basis. The work for permanent repair will be started after the monsoon is over as the sewage flowing in the drain needs to be diverted,” he said.

The first cave-in on Sohna Road was reported on December 24, 2023, near SD Adarsh Vidyalaya, followed by another on July 2, 2024, when a school-bus wheel became stuck in a deep pit. A third cave-in occurred in September 2024, with GMDA attributing it to cracks in the 30-year-old sewer pipeline. Further collapses were reported in May 2025, June 2025 and again between June and July 2025.

The latest major cave-in occurred on May 5, 2026, near SD Adarsh Vidyalaya, when the initial crater widened to nearly 20 feet and cracks appeared on the carriageway. All the incidents occurred on the stretch between Subash Chowk and Sheeshpal Vihar near Raheja Mall. The sewer line runs about 20 feet below the highway and carries sewage from sectors 45 to 51 to the sewage treatment plant in Behrampur, officials said.