Part of Cottonpete road caves in

A portion of Cottonpete Main road caved in on Saturday morning, troubling motorists along the stretch.

The BBMP officials claimed that a stormwater drain (SWD) pipeline running beneath the road was the cause for the damage.

According to N Chidananda, joint commissioner, BBMP, West zone: “A very old SWD runs under the road. This line is minimum 20 feet below the asphalted road and we were not aware of this until now. A thick slab was covering the pipeline and it is fully covered with mud. The BBMP later asphalted the road.”

Chidananda also said the SWD was connected with a valley, mostly Vrishabhavathi, and sewage was entering the SWD.

“Unfortunately, similar to other cities, most SWDs in our city carry sewage water instead of rainwater and this one in Cottonpete is no different,” he said.

The traffic police were the first to swing into action when the road caved in. They barricaded the area, preventing any vehicles or pedestrians from falling into the pit.

Later, the BBMP officials came to take measures. “We have taken temporary measures to make the road motorable,” the joint commissioner said.

He said a permanent solution to fix the problem would also be taken.

“We will coordinate with Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) officials to resolve the issue,” he said.

Meanwhile, mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun said she had spoken to BWSSB Chairman Tushar Girinath about the issue.

“This SWD under the road may be close to 100 years old. The road should be repaired with much care and precision or the damage could manifold in the coming days,” she said.

The BBMP also plans to take up the stretch under its TenderSURE project, where separate utility ducts would be provided for power, underground cables and sewage lines along the side of the road.