Chandigarh/Panchkula/Mohali: After a weekend of relentless downpour, the Tricity woke up to scenes of urban distress — roads torn apart, tree branches strewn across lanes, and waterlogged underpasses turning commutes into obstacle courses. While at least five cave-in incidents were reported across the Tricity, the most chilling case was reported from Chandigarh’s Sector 47/48 light point when a motorcyclist narrowly escaped a possible death after a sinkhole opened beneath him. Riding through the rain-slicked road, the biker sensed the ground shifting and leapt off his vehicle just in time.His bike wasn’t as lucky — it was swallowed whole by the gaping hole, suspected to have been caused by a collapsed underground sewer line. The incident occurred at around 1.30am.A team from the fire and emergency services launched a recovery operation and managed to retrieve the bike from a nearby stormwater drain early Monday morning. Civic authorities have since barricaded the area and are inspecting nearby stretches for similar vulnerabilities.A part of the footpath caved in near Sector 46 roundabout after an old stormwater drainpipe collapsed. Authorities have barricaded the area as a precaution. The damaged pipe, made of decades-old brickwork, raises fresh concerns about Chandigarh’s ageing drainage infrastructure. No injuries were reported in the incident. Airport road in Mohali caves in for 3rd time in 5 yrsIn yet another sign of Mohali’s deteriorating infrastructure, a significant portion of the prestigious Airport Road caved in near the Sector 67/80 dividing line on Monday—marking the third such incident almost at the same spot in as many years. The collapse, believed to be triggered by a failed drainage and sewerage system beneath the road, has left a 10 to 12-foot-deep cavity, raising serious safety concerns.Fortunately, no accidents were reported. However, commuters travelling on the high-speed corridor remain vulnerable, especially during night hours. Though Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (Gmada) has placed caution boards, residents said these are inadequate to avert potential mishaps.Similar cave-ins were reported here in July 2023 and Sept 2022. Despite repeated failures, authorities have seemingly failed to take permanent corrective measures. The recurring damage now squarely puts the spotlight on the engineering wing of the Gmada and its contractors.A senior Gmada official said that repair work has been initiated, and a contractor has been deployed to address the damage. “Heavy rains over the past few days softened the soil beneath, leading to the collapse. We are working on it,” the official added.The cavity has also damaged a section of the road divider and a small stretch on the Sector 80 side, exposing the fragile sub-surface construction. Residents have raised alarm about the quality of road building and drainage systems in the city, especially on high-profile roads like the Airport Road, which was once showcased as Mohali’s pride.Meanwhile, other areas in Mohali are also crumbling. Small Crater-like cave-ins have been reported from Phase V, 3B2, 3-A, IX, XI, Sector 69, Sector 71, and Mataur village. With each downpour, more roads are giving way, and paver blocks are sinking.BOX5 cars stuck in caved-in road in NayagaonIn Nayagaon, five vehicles were damaged after getting stuck in separate road cavities that formed on an unfinished stretch undergoing stormwater drain repairs. Mud had masked the open pits, misleading drivers.BOXRoadways bus stuck in Zirakpur, Thar in KhararIn a separate incident in Kharar, a Mahindra Thar attempting to bypass a jam ended up half-buried after the road divider soil gave way under its weight. It was later retrieved with the help of a tractor.A Haryana Roadways bus was trapped in a massive road cavity in Zirakpur, near the Singpura crossing on the Ambala-Chandigarh highway. The bus’s front wheels sank as the driver negotiated a flooded road.Aftermath equally grim in PanchkulaIn Panchkula, the aftermath of the downpour was equally grim. A road cave-in appeared right outside the Sector 21 market and police post, dangerously unbarricaded until late in the day. Two-wheeler riders were especially at risk, with the threat of vehicles getting trapped in the unstable ground.Across the city, potholes turned smooth drives into bumpy adventures. The rain didn’t just expose the flaws—it amplified them. Areas recently dug up by telecom companies became muddy traps, thanks to what residents are calling “shoddy work.”“Residents are suffering due to rains. Filling up of pits needs compaction of the soil, which they never do. They just fill loose earth in the excavated pits and go. The telecom companies simply do not have a setup for monitoring this part. They monitor only the cable laid. The agencies vanish, and when rains come, residents suffer,” said Mohit Gupta, founder, Solution Box.The poor stormwater drainage system also got exposed as, in several places, covers or chambers of road gullies and drains were found damaged. Besides, branches of a number of trees fell.Meanwhile, Panchkula mayor Kulbhushan Goyal accompanied officials to inspect measures to drain out water from city roads.In Sec 19, the team repaired the damaged motor to remove the standing water from the underpass. Water from the underpass was released into the sump well built in the park.Goyal has instructed the employees and officers of the municipal corporation to stay in the field during the rainy days, and wherever the complaints of their congestion are coming, a solution should be found immediately.
