Ludhiana: A major road near Saggu Chowk collapsed fifth time in four years on Friday morning, leaving a 4.5-m-deep void in commuter safety with road-wrecker monsoon at the city’s door.A nearby hotel security guard discovered the cave-in on Yes Bank Road and alerted authorities. Municipal corporation’s crew digging up the site found that a sudden water main leak had washed away the supporting soil, leaving the asphalt hollow before it gave way.The underground erosion also collapsed a major sewer line wall and an adjacent manhole.“The water supply line leaked, causing seepage that eroded the subsoil,” said Arjun Sikka, subdivisional officer of the operations and maintenance cell. “The road was completely hollow underneath. It is a major relief that no tragedy occurred, as this is a heavily used route to Ferozepur Road.”Municipal officials stated the leak remained hidden beneath the surface until the tarmac collapsed. They estimated repairs would take two days. Police and civic workers blocked the unstable roadway, yet some motorists ignored barriers, forcing staff to redirect traffic into adjoining lanes.The incident is the latest in a series of structural failures on this specific roadway, marks the fifth such collapse in recent years, and underscores the city’s broader infrastructure crisis.The same stretch of road suffered similar cave-ins in July 2018 and July 2020. More severely, a massive collapse in 2011 swallowed a truck, killing the driver, while another storm sewer failure compromised the road in 2013.Officials admitted the underlying problem is an antiquated brick sewer line that runs beneath the street, which is prone to repeated failure due to its age.The city has suffered an escalating number of road collapses recently, including two incidents on June 15 at Pakhowal Road and the Model Town extension, a major cave-in near the bus stand on June 5, and three separate structural failures in April and May of last year.
