Delhi-Dehradun expressway stretch caves in at Gogwan Jalalpur
A portion of the newly built Delhi-Dehradun expressway caved in at Gogwan Jalalpur village, near Shamli, on Wednesday morning following overnight rainfall. The incident on the flagship highway raised safety concerns for motorists and prompted immediate repair works by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
According to the NHAI, the cave-in occurred due to localized water stagnation and constraints in connecting the cross-drainage system at the site. The authority stated that the damaged section has already been repaired.
An NHAI statement explained that a culvert had been constructed to carry rainwater away from the expressway. However, the drainage system could not be integrated because of resistance from local residents.
Instead of allowing the drainage connection, local residents have been using the culvert opening as a vehicular crossing. This prevented the intended cross-drainage arrangement from operating, leading to the accumulation of rainwater along the carriageway during the heavy rainfall and the subsequent road surface cave-in.
Additionally, the NHAI noted that permanent slope protection and chute drain works at the location remain pending due to an ongoing land-related arbitration dispute.
To address the immediate drainage issue, the NHAI has initiated the construction of an interim parallel drain stretching approximately 1.5 kilometres. The drainage gradient is also being redesigned to safely convey rainwater up to the entry and exit location at Km 56+500, pending the commissioning of the balancing culvert.
Videos of the damaged stretch circulated widely on social media, with people questioning the quality of the infrastructure project. Built at an estimated cost of Rs 12,000 crore, the 213-kilometre expressway was inaugurated on April 14 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is designed for a maximum speed of 100 kmph and has reduced travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from 6.5 hours to about 2.5 hours.
