Who’s responsible for cave-ins in Ahmedabad bad engineering?

While citizens continue to suffer because of a large number of cave-ins that occurred when rains lashed the city in previous weeks, DNA delves into why such hazards crop up monsoon after monsoon. This year, after it rained, officials have put the total number of cave-ins at 55 across the city.

Traffic jam induced by a cave-in ruined your day last week, but no one cares? You are not alone. Lakhs of Amdavadis feel the same. But why does the earth beneath our feet betray us and suddenly cave in? Is it avoidable? Did God plan it to be that way for Amdavadis or did the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) fail to do its job properly? Most importantly - is there a solution?

There is no single definitive answer to any of these questions, as several theories have emerged as probable reasons. AMC blames the natural sandy soil structure of the city. But geophysicists familiar with the city’s geology do not buy this argument. “It’s not just sandy soil, it’s also bad engineering,” they exclaimed.

Three theories have emerged as possible reasons for the cave-ins. Some say badly joined leaking pipelines suck in surrounding wet soil during monsoon when water flows at high velocity. This erosion causes vacuum under the road, leading it to suddenly sink. Another theory is that when roads dug up to lay pipelines are being refilled, there is absence of sufficient compacting soil. Also, workers do not give enough time for the soil to settle.  Municipal commissioner IP Gautam, on the other hand, has a different theory.     
—With inputs by Niyati Rana