A major portion of a road near a village in Madhya Pradesh collapsed on Monday afternoon, resulting in a 30-foot-deep crater.
The incident occurred between 12 noon and 1 pm, near the bridge from Mandideep to Intkhedi, when nearly 100 meters of the road caved in.
Fortunately, no vehicles were passing at the time and no injuries were reported.
A video showing the retaining wall crumbling went viral on social media, raising concerns about the condition of the bridge constructed over a decade ago, and the quality of state highway construction.
The road near Bilkhiriya village on the Bhopal Eastern Bypass, comes under the Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation (MPRDC), connecting key routes to Indore, Hoshangabad, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Mandla, and Sagar.
Officials said that a team was being formed to examine the reason for the road collapse.
"About 100 meters of the road has caved in, leaving a 30-foot-deep crater. We are forming a team to investigate this matter. Preliminary findings suggest the collapse of the Reinforced Earth (RE) wall. The cause of the accident will be clear after the investigation report is released," the MPRDC Divisional Manager Sonal Sinha told NDTV.
The bridge was built in 2013 and the tender for the construction company, M/s Transtroy Pvt Ltd, was canceled in 2020 for failing to meet contractual obligations. Since then, no agency has been officially responsible for maintaining the stretch till now.
Officials confirmed that the bridge was constructed under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model. After the cancellation of the contract by Transtroy Pvt Ltd, the MPRDC had assumed direct oversight, outsourcing minor repairs when necessary.
A preliminary technical report attributes the collapse to damage in the RE wall on one side of the Sukhi Sewania ROB (Railway Over Bridge) on State Highway-18. Engineers are examining whether improper drainage, structural weakness, or lack of inspection resulted in the damage of the wall.
A three-member investigation committee has been formed comprising MPRDC Managing Director and Chief Engineer BS Meena, General Manager Manoj Gupta, and General Manager RS Chandel.
The committee has been tasked to determine the exact cause of the collapse and submit its findings to the government.
"If the investigation report reveals negligence or irregularities, strict action will be taken against those responsible," an MPRDC spokesperson said.
Barricades have been erected along the damaged stretch, and one side of the road has been completely closed to divert traffic on the route. Repair work and soil stabilization efforts began late Monday evening.
The cave-in has reignited debate over the quality of road construction in Madhya Pradesh.
Critics recalled Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Rakesh Singh's controversial statement made three months ago: "No technology has yet been developed that can guarantee a road that will never have potholes. As long as roads exist, potholes will continue to exist."
