Earth caves in near Lalbagh West Gate

A crater was created as earth caved in near Lalbagh West Gate here on Sunday morning. The Palike suspects the mishap was caused by the percolation of water from the Lalbagh Lake.

After receiving information about the crater-like formation, the Palike officials visited the spot and barricaded the area. Palike Chief Engineer (South) M C Prakash said: “The percolation of water from the lake may have been the cause, but we need to check for the real reason. We have taken stock of the situation and our workers will be working in the night to restore the road.”

He said the road will be restored by Monday morning and traffic will be diverted if necessary.

Another official said that a similar mishap occurred on Krumbiegel Road around two months ago. The BBMP is trying to level the uneven parts around the pit.

For motorists, who were witness to the incident, it seemed like a scene from the sci-fi disaster film “2012”. They had a sinking feeling as the road just collapsed in front of their eyes. Around 10.30 am, the road in front of the Kuvempu Statue near the gate collapsed suddenly, creating an eight-foot deep “sink hole” that measured around 12X4 feet. Alert police diverted traffic and prevented possible accidents.

Local Corporator S Anil Kumar said the hole was almost in the middle of the road and such an occurrence was not uncommon in areas around Lalbagh Lake. “The road repair work is already underway,” he said.

B R Srinivasa Murthy, retired civil engineer from the Indian Institute of Science, said the caving in could be because of the Cauvery trench, which might not have been filled properly. “Else, it could also have been triggered by infrastructure works (Namma Metro pier construction that is being taken up nearby), large-scale plying or movement of heavy vehicles. But one can ascertain the exact reason only after a visit to the spot,” he said.

Meanwhile, police said as it was a Sunday, traffic remained unaffected to a large extent. “The road sees a lot of traffic. We expect traffic snarls on Monday,” they said.