AHMEDABAD: The city has received just 258.6mm of rain this year, after Cyclonic Tauktae hit in mid-May, but the city has already reported no less than 20 complaints of road settlement and cave-ins.
According to the AMC monsoon control room, there have been six complaints of road cave-ins and another 14 complaints of road settlement this year.
Officials said that on average, there are 80 such complaints every year and some sites have reported repeated cave-ins.
The BRTS track near the Blind People’s Association has repeatedly seen major cave-ins and one wason Tuesday, the same area reported the cave-in.
“This reflects poor work done by AMC officials on cave-ins,” said a senior AMC office-bearer.
The cave-in reported recently near the Jivraj Mehta Bridge was at the same site where a cave-in was reported in 2020.
The AMC office-bearer said the work done by contractors has not been not satisfactory.
He said that according to the guidelines, all work must come to a halt by June 15 but contractors begin laying pipelines in April or May and do not refill the trenches properly.
According to the contract terms, they have to water the area and settle the mud properly.
But often contractors leave loosely filled trenches for the monsoon to settle, resulting in vehicles getting stuck.
Senior AMC officials said that according to an estimate, 42km of pipelines have been identified as being 40 years old and need to be replaced.
He also said that the AMC has decided to install a new sewage line with HDPE (high-density polyethylene) coating to control damage due to corrosive gases and chemicals.
A ruling party office-bearer said leaks in old pipelines cause cave-ins.
Officials do not have any answer to why cave-in occur frequently at certain places only.
The line near BPA on the BRTS track is not 50 years old but reports cave-ins every year.
This was because of the faulty works by the AMC.
The office-bearer said cave-in are reported near new lines as well and officials have no explanation for these.
We have decided to raise the issue in the standing committee soon,” said the office-bearer.