Huge section of Delhi road caves in near IIT
A huge section of a road near the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in south Delhi caved on Saturday. The massive hole can be seen under the IIT flyover and it has compelled the Delhi Traffic Police to divert the movement of vehicles along the stretch of the road. Notably, Delhi has been witnessing heavy rainfall for several days. Here are more details.
Adchini-IIT traffic diverted to Katwaria Sarai: Traffic Police
The Delhi Traffic Police tweeted Saturday, "Due to the collapse of the road near the IIT red light, the traffic going from Adhchini to IIT has been diverted from Adhchini to Katwaria Sarai. Please avoid using this route." Reportedly, the hole is 10-15 feet wide, and drain water was seen inside it. There have been no reports of any injuries or damage to property.
Repair may take some days: Officials
Authorities have cordoned off the area while officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) have reached the scene. PWD officials told The Indian Express that it may take up to a few days to repair the damaged road. An official explained that they will need to plug the leak in the pipeline and then fill up the hole with sand and other road materials.
What caused the road to cave in?
The official said it is possible that the stormwater from a drain near the road is washing off the road's embankment. "The second, more probable cause is that there is a leakage in a pipeline beneath the road," said the official, adding that the same may lead to erosion of the earth and road crust. The road eventually caves in in such scenarios.
Delhi has been witnessing incessant rainfall
Mere days ago, a street in Dwarka had caved in. A crane had to pull out a car that had gotten stuck inside the hole. Delhi has been witnessing incessant rainfall. The city received an average of 43.6 mm rain till 8:30 am Saturday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The rains have caused waterlogging, traffic disruptions, and road damage in several areas.
