A day after the Hyderabad High Court pulled up the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) over the poor condition of roads in the city, a part of the Kukatpally main road caved in on Wednesday afternoon.
The road was barricaded and restoration works soon began.
According to reports, the Hyderabad Metro Water Works and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) claimed that the sinkhole appeared due to leakage of water from a cement pipeline.
Project director M Yella Swamy told Deccan Chronicle, "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."
"We will supply water to the affected areas through tankers.We will also ensure that the supply to Ramdev Rao Hospital is not affected. The pipeline was damaged due to telephone cable works. The damaged portion will be restored by Thursday," another official from the board told the Times of India.
At least four people have died in Hyderabad in the last three months, due to the deteriorating condition of the roads in the city.
Early this month, three people suffered serious injuries after a road in Secunderabad's Safilguda caved in.
Meanwhile, the GHMC told the High Court that it has identified hundreds of roads that needed repair, and has spent Rs 20 crore in fixing them.
However, they needed more time to complete the works.
Yet another crater formed in #Hyderabad in #Kukatpally . This is the 3rd such incident. Sadly, #GreaterHyderabad becomes #CratorHyderabad pic.twitter.com/Nt8hMzk5Av
— Paul C Oommen (@Paul_Oommen) November 23, 2016
GHMC tax collection after #demonetisation is Rs 217 crores. Hope the money is spend on improving road conditions #Hyderabad
— SAKSHI KHANNA (@tweetsakshi) November 23, 2016
(pic Kukatpally) pic.twitter.com/GkxViALJs4
Oops, it's craters n caves on #Hyderabad roads, after NTR MARG road now Kukatpally MainRoad caved in. @GHMCOnline @KTRTRS @HYDTP pic.twitter.com/0YuB8HqcCs
— kavitha Rao (@iamKavithaRao) November 23, 2016