Hyderabad: Panic prevailed in the Goshamahal area after a portion of road suddenly caved in on Tuesday night. A major mishap was averted; none was injured. Following the incident, an auto and a tractor which were passing by skidded into the caved in portion of the road. This was the fifth time the road caved in.

On Wednesday the residents protested and warned they will continue the protest if authorities fail to address the ongoing infrastructure issues promptly. According to residents, a section of the road between Goshamahal and Darussalam caved in, damaging several vehicles and disrupting traffic on the busy route.

Residents expressed frustration over authorities failing to address issues with the nala. Despite being under construction for an extended period, only 50 per cent of the 800m nala works have been completed. Locals have repeatedly raised concerns with officials, but progress has been slow. “The unfinished nala poses a serious risk,” said a resident.

Upon receiving information about the incident, GHMC Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi, along with zonal commissioner Anurag Jayanti inspected the road. After examining the damage, she assured the residents that repair work would be expedited. She stated that tenders for the repairs would be invited within a day. “For a permanent solution, I have instructed officials to prepare proposals and to call for a one-day tender to complete the work immediately.”

Residents, however, raised concerns, claiming road collapses have occurred in the area before. They cited the improper management of a nearby nala and the impact of heavy vehicles on the road as contributing factors to the deteriorating condition.

The local leaders said the road caving in was the fifth in the last couple of years. In 2022, a massive portion of the road caved in, taking with it several vendor carts, bikes and a car. The GHMC officials then said the road sank due to damaged concrete slabs covering the open drain. They said the slab may have broken due to constant fumes from the sewage flow.

In July 2024, a road caved in, taking a truck into its pit in the same area. The truck was driving over a section of the road built on two different sewage pipes when the incident happened. The truck’s left rear wheels fell into the pit. A similar incident occurred in October.

Rajesh Yadav, a resident, said “this is not the first such incident in the area. On January 10 a crusher lorry was trapped when a section of the nala road collapsed. The driver escaped without injuries, but the

collapse highlighted ongoing concerns about the area’s infrastructure.”