Surat:The season’s first spell of heavy rain once again exposed the poor quality of civic infrastructure in Surat, with roads caving in at multiple locations across the city on Tuesday. The cave-ins left vehicles stranded, disrupted traffic and raised fresh concerns over the quality of road restoration work undertaken by the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC).Motorists reported financial losses due to vehicle damage and long delays, while residents expressed concern that roads collapsing while in active use pose a serious risk to life and property.One of the worst-hit spots was Mota Varachha, where a nearly 400-metre stretch of road caved in. SMC teams rushed to the site and began repair work to prevent further damage and restore traffic. In Udhna, an SMC truck itself got trapped after a section of the road suddenly gave way.
Rain lashes the city on Tuesday and disrupted the routine life
Waterlogging compounded commuters’ woes across several parts of the city. Low-lying areas such as Parvat Patiya and the railway underpass in Udhna were inundated, affecting vehicular movement. Traffic snarls were reported from several arterial roads as a larger number of commuters opted for four-wheelers to avoid getting drenched, worsening congestion.In Pandesara’s Mukti Nagar area, a portion of a residential gallery collapsed, though no injuries were reported. The fire department also received multiple calls about uprooted trees from different parts of the city.The incidents follow a series of similar cave-ins in recent days. About 10 days ago, a road in Dindoli, which had been restored barely a week earlier after the laying of a water pipeline, collapsed, trapping a truck and disrupting traffic. In another case, a bus got stuck after rain exposed an inadequately covered stretch dug up for a water supply pipeline. Yet another bus was stranded in Udhna when the road beneath it caved in following heavy showers.Mayor Maya Mavani and standing committee chairman Rajan Patel visited several of the affected locations and assured residents that the civic body would take immediate corrective measures and expedite repairs.
