Sohna road caves in for the seventh time in three years, NHAI to start permanent repairs

NHAI officials have barricaded the damaged spot and barricaded the left most lane of the highway from Gurugram to Sohna side as a precaution

A portion of the Sohna Road near Subash Chowk caved in yet again on Monday, after the sewage pipeline underneath the stretch collapsed, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials said.

Monday’s cave-in left a roughly 2x2-foot sinkhole on the road surface. (HT Photo)

Monday’s cave-in is not an isolated incident on the Rajiv Chowk to Sheeshpal Vihar stretch of this road — it has caved in seven times in the last three years and twice in 2026.

Earlier on May 6, a portion of the road near SD Adarsh School caved in after a dumper carrying building material got stuck there. Following the incident, the NHAI carried out temporary repairs on the damaged portion and the drain, which had been completed just two months earlier.

According to NHAI official, Monday’s cave-in left a roughly 2x2-foot sinkhole on the road surface. However, it appeared even wider below the surface with an estimated depth of 20 feet, they added.

NHAI officials have barricaded the damaged spot and barricaded the left most lane of the highway from Gurugram to Sohna side as a precaution. “We inspected the cave-in, which occurred after the main sewage line running underneath collapsed. The authority has now decided to ask the contractor for a permanent repair of the sewage line to avoid future cave-ins,” said NHAI project director Yogesh Tilak, adding that traffic marshals were deployed to divert traffic and two lanes remain open for movement.

“The tender for repairs using cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) technology has already been awarded. It is estimated to cost ₹58 crore. The work will start at the earliest and will be completed by February,” Tilak added.

Notably, NHAI officials had said on May 27 that the headquarters had approved the ₹58-crore proposal for permanent repairs; however the work has yet to start.

When questioned about the delay, NHAI officials said they planned to start the work after the monsoon ended, as the volume of water in the master sewer line reduces in winter.

According to GMDA officials, the sewer line in question — from Rajiv Chowk to Sheeshpal Vihar — was laid by the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) around three decades ago.

However, the pipeline’s condition has deteriorated in the last three years. It collapsed seven times on the stretch between Subash Chowk and Sheeshpal Vihar near the Raheja Mall. This line runs approximately 20 feet below the highway and carries sewage water from sectors 45 to 51, which flows to the sewage treatment plant in Behrampur.