Portion of road at Behala collapses, disrupts traffic

Kolkata: A large portion of road in Buroshibtala main road area at Behala caved in on Monday morning triggering panic among commuters.

The matter was immediately brought to the notice of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) by the traffic police.

A team of civic engineers rushed to the spot. The area was cordoned off by the police to check any untoward incidents. Later, the KMC engineers were pressed into service. A JCB machine was engaged to dig the road surface to determine the exact cause of subsidence.

Traffic came to a halt as the road was barricaded for a few hours in the morning. This resulted in traffic congestion in the area. The senior KMC officials asked executive engineer of the borough to repair the road properly. State Public Works Department workers also rushed to the spot.

The KMC engineers acted on a war footing and started the repair work. They were also investigating if there are chances of a future cave-in in the adjacent area. The KMC engineers are also looking into the possible reasons behind the cave in.

Locals, however, alleged that the portion of the road caved in as heavy vehicles ply through the area. They also alleged there was no proper police surveillance in the area. The road is not meant for the heavy duty trucks, alleged the locals. If the heavy vehicles are not restricted on the road, there could be fatal road accidents, complained the locals.