HYDERABAD: In yet another instance, a portion of a road near Usha Mullapudi Hospital in Kukatpally caved in on Sunday due to water leakage in the pipeline beneath resulting in the formation of a big crater in Kukatpally. However, no one was injured in the incident.
Due to the sudden formation of the sinkhole, traffic through the junction was forced to slow down to circumvent the pit. The pit remained open most of the day. Officials said that an underground pipeline leakage may have led to the collapse of the road. The road from Kukatpally to Usha Mullapudi has been temporarily closed and the traffic police diverted traffic on an alternative route.
The incident took place in the morning between 6:30 am and 7 am. Initially, there was a small crater with water bubbling out and, within minutes, the road caved in, creating a large pit.
“In the morning when we opened the valve to release water for supply to residents, the 200 mm pipeline, which was leaking, could not withstand the pressure and burst open, causing the crater,” Venkateshwarlu, Metro Water Supply Board’s Bhagyanagar Colony manager said.
“It being a Sunday, there was hardly anyone on the road, which ruled out the possibility of anyone being injured,” said a local.
The repair work is likely to take at least two days in view considering the heavy water-logging inside the crater, officials said. When asked about craters occurring often during rainy season, a GHMC official, who did not wish to be named, said, “The gap between the road and the footpath, which is usually weak, allows the water to seep into the ground which can internally build up pressure and cause damage to pipelines.” Unlike in foreign countries where sensors help detect such leakages, the pipelines here not only suffer on account of lack of technology but also on account of wear and tear, he added.
A few days ago, a similar incident took place at Tadbund Crossroad, Secunderabad. Water Board officials are taking up repair works there. Sources said an inspection of all nearby pipelines will be conducted to avert any similar problem.
Such incidents took place in Azampura Colony in Old City, on Minister Road in Secunderabad in December last year. In November, a part of the Kukatpally main road caved in after an underground water pipeline leaked.