<p>A portion of the busy JC road in central Bengaluru caved in on Thursday, panicking motorists and local residents. The BBMP attributed it to subsurface erosion. </p>.<p>The road’s sudden crumbling left an eight-foot-deep hole in the middle, triggering a traffic snarl in the area. Though engineers are yet to determine the cause, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Engineer (Road Infrastructure) B S Prahlad said it was a case of subsoil erosion. </p>.<p>“The most common reason for caving in of roads is water seepage which causes a reduction in soil volume beneath the surface. In such cases, the road sinks suddenly, leaving a cavity,” he explained. </p>.<p>Refuting allegations that the road was not maintained well, Prahlad said that it was asphalted just a year ago. “It’s in a good condition. Only a small portion has caved in, and we will fix it soon,” he said. Another senior BBMP engineer who inspected the spot told <span class="italic">DH</span> that such problems cannot be easily detected. </p>.<p>“This is one of the older roads and, even during regular maintenance, the surface is inspected and asphalted. Such water seepage happens beneath at a depth of at least three to four feet and so they go undetected,” the engineer said. </p>.<p>Though BBMP officials initially assumed leakage of a waterline, BWSSB engineers who inspected the spot ruled it out. Palike officials were left to wonder about the source of seepage. </p>.<p>“We must remove saturated soil at least to a depth of 1.5 metres and refill it with sand, boulders, wet mix and macadam which have good water draining properties,” Prahlad said. </p>.<p>Officials instructed engineers to start the work. “We may require just one day to restore the area,” Prahlad said.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos</strong></p>
<p>A portion of the busy JC road in central Bengaluru caved in on Thursday, panicking motorists and local residents. The BBMP attributed it to subsurface erosion. </p>.<p>The road’s sudden crumbling left an eight-foot-deep hole in the middle, triggering a traffic snarl in the area. Though engineers are yet to determine the cause, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Engineer (Road Infrastructure) B S Prahlad said it was a case of subsoil erosion. </p>.<p>“The most common reason for caving in of roads is water seepage which causes a reduction in soil volume beneath the surface. In such cases, the road sinks suddenly, leaving a cavity,” he explained. </p>.<p>Refuting allegations that the road was not maintained well, Prahlad said that it was asphalted just a year ago. “It’s in a good condition. Only a small portion has caved in, and we will fix it soon,” he said. Another senior BBMP engineer who inspected the spot told <span class="italic">DH</span> that such problems cannot be easily detected. </p>.<p>“This is one of the older roads and, even during regular maintenance, the surface is inspected and asphalted. Such water seepage happens beneath at a depth of at least three to four feet and so they go undetected,” the engineer said. </p>.<p>Though BBMP officials initially assumed leakage of a waterline, BWSSB engineers who inspected the spot ruled it out. Palike officials were left to wonder about the source of seepage. </p>.<p>“We must remove saturated soil at least to a depth of 1.5 metres and refill it with sand, boulders, wet mix and macadam which have good water draining properties,” Prahlad said. </p>.<p>Officials instructed engineers to start the work. “We may require just one day to restore the area,” Prahlad said.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos</strong></p>
