Earth cave-in spots virtual death traps in Mohali

Tribune News Service

Mohali, August 19

There seems to be no let-up in incidents of earth cave-in at Mohali. Such virtual death traps can be seen at several places in the town, including roads.

In some recent incidents, large pits have surfaced after the earth caved in such as on roads in front of the international hockey stadium at Phase 9 and near Radha Soami Chowk here.

These death traps pose grave threat to road users, especially those using heavy vehicles. “The soil has got washed away in large quantity beneath the road at Radha Soami Chowk while the concrete layer of the road is intact. Drivers fail to notice it easily and nobody knows from where it will cave in. It’s really dangerous, especially during night,” says Ajay Kumar, a local resident, who uses the road daily.

Similarly, another such death trap is a large pit on the road in front of the international hockey stadium at Phase 9 here. “Every year, you get to see such a pit on the road at the same spot. I don’t understand why the authorities are not able to solve the problem permanently,” says Bhupinder Singh, a resident of Phase 11.

Mohali Mayor Kulwant Singh said such a situation arose during the monsoon. “I will get these spots checked. First, we will fence these with reflecting tapes to prevent any mishap. Then repair work will be carried out properly at these spots,” he said.

Two earth cave-in incidents have already been reported — one from Phase 5 and the other from Sector 67 here. In Sector 67, the front courtyard of a house caved in while in Phase 5, soil erosion has put at least four houses at risk.