Urban News

“After inspection, our officials found the trench-less technology being used by us was to be blamed for the cave-in,” said NDMC member Mukesh Bhatt. The new technology was brought in a few years ago to install cables and pipes without digging up roads. However, the engineers apparently failed to account for the network of sewage pipes running underneath the roads. While boring the ground, they ended up puncturing the sewage pipes, the leakages from which are now causing the cave-ins.

Significantly, the NDMC has no idea how many sewage pipes may have been damaged. When a sewage pipe gets punctured, it starts leaking and after a few months, it gives in to the pressure and bursts, like what apparently happened on Rajesh Pilot Marg. “On Monday, Asoka Road caved in due to leakage from an old sewerage pipe caused by the trench-less technology,” Bhatt said. In fact, Ashoka and Kali Bari roads also reported small cave-ins during the day.

“On Wednesday, at an NDMC meeting, we were told that there was a goof up in using the trench-less technology to lay pipes and cables. We suggested that those working on trench-less technology should now consult engineers who look after the sewage for better coordination and to avoid damage to more lines,” he added. 

While Chief Engineer Ramesh Raina was unavailable for comment, NDMC spokesperson Anand Tiwari said the cave-in was due to improper laying of trench-less cables, though the sewage pipe was not damaged.

“Sometimes, there are some loose spots left by the trench-less cabling. After rain, the ground under these spots becomes loose and sinks. This time, the cave-in was quite small, just 1.5 feet. Our workers dug a five-foot-wide hole to check for problems, but did not find anything,” he said.

Cave-ins this month
August 2: Maharishi Raman Marg, due to rain

August 16: Ashoka Road, due to leakage from an abandoned sewage pipe

August 18: Rajesh Pilot Marg, due to a punctured sewage pipe