Another road cave-in adds to city’s civic woes

Just days after a massive road cave-in near Model Town, Ludhiana witnessed another alarming collapse at Fountain Chowk, one of the city’s busiest intersections. The cave-in, which appeared today afternoon disrupted traffic flow across the junction surrounded by colleges, schools, banks, mall and offices and left commuters stranded and frustrated.

The newly formed cavity is reportedly large enough to block multiple lanes, causing severe congestion during peak hours. With the area already burdened by monsoon-related waterlogging and infrastructure stress, the cave-in has amplified concerns about the city’s underground network and pre-monsoon preparedness.

“It took me 45 minutes to cross a stretch that usually takes 10. It should be repaired at the earliest as it is a busy juncture,” said Harpreet Singh, a bank employee.

“My daughter’s school is just across the junction, but we had to take a detour. It’s not just inconvenient—it’s unsafe,” shared Renu Bhatia, a parent.

“This isn’t the first time. Every monsoon, roads collapse like clockwork. What are we paying taxes for?” asked Gurpreet Kaur, a college student.

With heavy rains continuing to expose Ludhiana’s infrastructure gaps, the twin cave-ins have reignited calls for stricter regulation of underground utility work and urgent upgrades to the city’s drainage systems, added a resident from Club Road.