Surat: Every spell of monsoon rain is exposing the city’s crumbling infrastructure, with freshly repaired roads caving in one after another and crores of taxpayers’ money sinking into the ground.The latest embarrassment came on Thursday when a moving tanker got trapped after a road suddenly collapsed near G9 Circle in Dindoli, bringing traffic to a standstill and once again raising serious questions about the quality of civic works, poor backfilling after utility projects, and the accountability of contractors.According to civic officials, stormwater drainage work was recently carried out at the site. As part of the project, a 1,000-mm diameter stormwater pipeline was laid at a depth of about 4.5 metres. After the pipeline was installed, the trench was backfilled and the road restored with patchwork. However, officials said the repaired stretch caved in after the soil beneath settled, causing the road surface to collapse.Residents and motorists said the stranded tanker at the busy intersection triggered traffic chaos, forcing vehicles to take long diversions as congestion quickly built up during peak hours. Traffic police and Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) personnel rushed to the spot to regulate traffic and prevent further mishaps.The SMC began repairs immediately after the incident and later claimed that traffic was restored within a few hours. The civic body also issued a notice to the contractor responsible for the drainage work, seeking an explanation for the collapse.
