Ludhiana: A major arterial road leading to a critical regional hospital remains blocked a week after a massive sinkhole exposed a collapsed colonial-era brick sewer line.Municipal workers are excavating 40 feet below ground near Saggu Chowk to repair the damaged sewer walls and manhole. While engineers completed the brickwork on Friday, officials say it will take several days to backfill the cavernous crater and safely reopen the road to traffic.The structural failure was discovered after nearby hotel staff reported water leakage. When municipal crews opened the newly laid pavement on the Ferozepur Road stretch, they found a massive subterranean void caused by the collapsed manhole.“It was a major sewer collapse, and we were fortunate to detect it before a catastrophic tragedy occurred,” said subdivisional officer Arjun Sikka. “The entire section beneath the road was completely hollow.”The prolonged closure has disrupted the local transport network severely. Ambulances heading to the nearby Dayanand Medical College (DMC) Hospital have been forced to divert through narrow secondary lanes, delaying critical patient transfers. Local businesses report a sharp drop in trade, with some shop owners expressing anxiety over the structural integrity of their buildings adjacent to the 40-foot pit.Commuters have faced gridlock after being diverted into residential estates. “This is my daily route to work, and for a week I’ve been forced through alternative lanes,” said local motorist Sunil Kumar. “The resulting traffic has overwhelmed nearby residential areas.”Despite safety warnings, pedestrians continue to climb over mounds of excavated sand to cross the active construction site.The crisis has drawn sharp criticism from political opposition leaders as the region enters its volatile monsoon season. Critics have condemned the slow pace of the repair work, warning that impending heavy rains could trigger further subsidence if the site is not stabilised quickly.
