Road cave-ins
Date: 27 September 2021 Tags: MiscellaneousIssue
The number of road cave-ins has increased drastically in Delhi even as the city experienced unprecedented rainfall this season.
Background
Recently small road cave-ins have been seen in different parts of the city. Earlier, larger cave-ins have been witnessed.
Details
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Incessant rains are the reason for cavities or cave-ins which looks like hole in the ground. This takes place when drains overflow.
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As the rains increase and underground drains go beyond their capacity, these pipes can start leaking. The water erodes soil around the areas causing roads to cave in.
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The time for occurrence of this phenomenon is dependent on the intensity of the leak and also the force of the water to erode soil.
Fixing cave-ins
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First step is to identify the pipeline below the surface and find the leak. Once the leak is identified, the water flow is stopped and leak fixed.
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After fixing pipe, the hole or the cavity has to be completely shut. This is done by filling construction materials.
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In smaller holes, gravel and small stones are filled. In larger holes, sand is used to fill the gap before making a base for re-laying the road.
Avoiding cave-ins
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The most appropriate way of preventing a cave-in would be to prevent water leak in the first place. This can be done through proper planning.
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The first step would be to conduct regular cleaning and fixing of pipes before the monsoon seasons.
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Secondly, a pipe system has to be installed that can check flow at entry and exit points. This will ensure that authorities know that there is a leak by measuring inflow and outflow.
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If the pipelines are fixed early, the leakage of water does not take place and cave-ins can be avoided easily.