Hyderabad: A part of the Kukatpally main road, big enough for a person to fall through, caved in on Wednesday afternoon. Locals were quick to notice the damage and no casualties were reported.
The road was barricaded and restoration works began at the site, as it is an important junction. While the Hyderabad Metro Water Works and Sewerage Board is responsible for the damage, officials blame the old pipeline network. In November alone, two incidents of roads caving-in due to pipeline leakages were reported.
Board’s project director M. Yella Swamy said, “Underneath the Kukatpally (Division 9) main road runs a 20-year-old 200-mm diameter asbestos cement (AC) pipeline. It is a local distribution line laid by the gram panchayat and does not belong to the Godavari network. On Wednesday, the leakage was reported in the line near South India Mall, Kukatpally. Due to the leak, water seeped into the ground and as earth settled, the road caved in. It is a very old pipeline built not as per the present HMWS&SB standards. This line was meant to be changed years ago, but since there is no alternative the distribution line is used for supply.”
The officer said the AC pipeline was laid in 1992-93 by the gram panchayat. The road is under the control of the National Highway Authority.
