Dwarka road cave-in sparks public anger over fragile infra

For Dwarka residents, road cave-ins during the monsoon have become all too common. With broken stretches, sinking lanes and frequent waterlogging witnessed every rainy season, Sunday’s collapse of a road near the National Law University was met less with shock and more with weary disappointment.

According to the police, the cave-in was triggered by heavy rainfall and subsequent waterlogging. Traffic movement in the area was disrupted until the authorities barricaded the affected stretch and deployed technical teams to assess the damage.

While repairs were carried out by the evening, the incident once again drew attention to the state of Delhi’s fragile road infrastructure, particularly in Dwarka.

The problem is not limited to the Law University stretch. Right outside the Dwarka Sector 14 Metro station, Gate No. 1, commuters step out not just to find e-rickshaws and autos waiting, but also broken and uneven roads pockmarked with potholes. During peak hours, when hundreds of passengers exit the station, navigating the damaged stretch becomes a daily hazard.

“Roads have been in a bad condition for as long as I can remember. Every day, I’m scared that my rickshaw will tip over because of the potholes,” said Bahadur, an e-rickshaw driver who has been working in the area for the past two years.

Locals point out that the same stretch has at least two more pothole-ridden patches. Neeraj, a tea vendor who has set up his cart nearby, said, “Even after repairs, these roads get damaged within a short while. I’ve seen several accidents here, but no one pays attention. The authorities fill the pit with mud and stones. Within weeks, it’s back to the same condition.”

This is not the first time Dwarka has witnessed such incidents. Earlier in February, a car fell into a pit after the slab covering a drain gave way in Dwarka Sector 12 near KM Chowk. The accident once highlighted again how fragile the road network in the sub-city has become, especially during the monsoon season.

Residents say these back-to-back cave-ins are a glaring reminder of poor civic planning and a lack of accountability. They argue that temporary patchworks only worsen the problem instead of addressing the root causes such as poor drainage systems, substandard construction and lack of regular monitoring.

Ranjeet Jha, an e-rickshaw driver who moved to Delhi 40 years ago and has been driving in Dwarka for the past seven years, accused successive governments of ignoring the sub-city.

“Roads have not been properly built here for years. Whether BJP or AAP, no one has paid attention to Dwarka. Only areas near Yashobhoomi witness improvement because VIPs visit there. The rest is neglected,” he said.

He said the condition in village pockets of Dwarka is worse. “In Sector 19, a cow fell into an open drain. If a large animal can fall into the drain, what about children or elderly people? Still, nothing has been done to cover the drain. The same is true for the roads. Governments only do politics, no one cares for residents,” Jha said.

Dwarka residents say they chose the sub-city for its relatively open spaces, planned layout and wide roads, but monsoon turns the area into a nightmare.

“Dwarka is a beautiful place to live in, but the monsoon makes life miserable,” said Shweta, a resident of Dwarka Sector 22. “Sewage lines are not desilted on time, leading to severe waterlogging. A 10-minute journey takes an hour because of traffic jams. Add broken roads to that, and travelling becomes dangerous.”

She recalled a recent incident when her car tilted dangerously after one of its wheels got stuck in a pothole. “It was definitely scary because the rickshaw next to me also got stuck the same way. That’s how accidents happen,” she said.