COIMBATORE: A fresh crater that appeared on Nanjundapuram Road on Saturday has once again raised concerns about road safety and infrastructure quality in Coimbatore. Passersby noticed the depression on the road surface and quickly placed barricades around it to prevent vehicles from passing over the spot, fearing that the road could cave in further.
This is the third such incident reported on the stretch in recent weeks.
The road had earlier caved in on February 28 due to leakages in underground drainage pipelines installed by the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD).
The latest development comes a day after another road collapse occurred on Kurichi Pirivu-Podanur Main Road in Ward 95 on Friday. According to officials from the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC), an underground drainage pipeline ruptured suddenly beneath the road, causing water to gush out and weaken the ground structure.
The collapse created a deep crater on the road, trapping a passing tipper truck. Officials from the TWAD Board, along with personnel from the highways department and the municipal corporation, worked for several hours before successfully retrieving the stranded vehicle.
Repair works on the damaged stretch are currently underway. However, the emergence of another crater on Nanjundapuram Road has further aggravated concerns among authorities.
Officials from the Tamil Nadu State Highways Department have expressed frustration over the repeated road damages, attributing the problem to alleged lapses during pipeline installation works carried out by TWAD Board and the municipal corporation.
Highways department officials have rushed to the site to inspect the damage and initiate immediate repair measures.