Sohna Highway in Gurgaon caves in for sixth time since 2023, exposes crumbling sewer infra
The NHAI, meanwhile, is carrying out a full-scale rehabilitation of the master sewer line using Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) technology, at an estimated cost of Rs 68 crore, officials said.
For the sixth time since 2023, a portion of the Rs 2,000-crore elevated corridor in Sohna that connects Rajiv Chowk in Gurgaon with the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway caved in on Wednesday morning. It is one of the busiest arterial roads in the National Capital Region (NCR).
The latest collapse, on a stretch near the S D Adarsh Vidyalaya, formed a massive crater — estimated to be 10-foot-wide and 20-foot-deep — metres away from the spot where a similar sinkhole had emerged last June.
Traffic authorities and civic officials promptly barricaded the stretch to avert any accident.
Officials have attributed the recurring road collapses to a severely damaged 1,800-mm master sewer line running underneath the highway.
Although the sewer network was officially transferred to the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) in 2022, comprehensive rehabilitation of the pipeline remains in limbo.
A GMDA spokesperson told The Indian Express, “The repair and rehabilitation work of the sewer lines will be taken up by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to prevent more such incidents.”
The NHAI, meanwhile, is carrying out a full-scale rehabilitation of the master sewer line using Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) technology, at an estimated cost of Rs 68 crore, officials said.
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The infrastructural gap has been widening for nearly a decade now. In 2017, the then Haryana Urban Development Authority (now HSVP) originally proposed the CIPP rehabilitation at an estimated cost of Rs 28.75 crore. The NHAI was expected to execute the work under HUDA’s supervision. However, during the highway widening process and the subsequent administrative transition to the GMDA, the project’s scope was significantly curtailed. Only the strengthening of manholes was completed, leaving the fragile main pipeline entirely unaddressed.
Since December 2023, commuters have had to navigate a treacherous corridor, with sinkholes appearing frequently. Major incidents were recorded in December 2023, July 2024, and May 2025. By June 30 of last year, another large sinkhole, roughly two-metre-wide and six-metre-deep, surfaced on the exact same stretch just weeks after a smaller collapse forced the closure of more than one lane.
“This is not the first time this has happened. Thankfully, it did not happen at night. It has impacted traffic, and I informed residents to be cautious while on that key stretch,” said Vijay Shiv Nath, RWA president, Malibu Town.
“We reached the spot and installed necessary barricades to divert traffic,” a Gurgaon traffic spokesperson said.
Abhimanyu Hazarika is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Gurgaon. He covers southern Haryana.
Education
- Post-Graduate Diploma in Print Media, Asian College of Journalism (Class of 2020)
- B.A. (Hons) Liberal Arts with a major in Political Science, Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts (Class of 2019)
Professional Experience
Before joining The Indian Express, he worked with Bar & Bench (legal journalism) and Frontline magazine, where he developed experience in court reporting, legal analysis, and long-form investigative features.
Reporting Interests
His work centres on civic accountability, environmental policy, urban infrastructure and culture, crime and law enforcement, and their intersections with politics and governance in and around Gurgaon.
Recent Coverage (2025)
- Crime: Reported on the recovery of 350 kg of explosives and an AK-47 from a rented house in Faridabad, linked to the 2025 Red Fort car explosion case (November 11, 2025).
- Environmental policy: Covered protests outside a Haryana minister’s residence against a Supreme Court order that environmentalists argue could allow mining and real estate development on large parts of the Aravalli hills (December 21, 2025).
- Pollution control measures: Co-authored coverage of the Rekha Gupta government’s enforcement of vehicle restrictions at Delhi-NCR borders (December 21, 2025).
- Road safety and infrastructure: Examined response lapses in the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway hit-and-run case and ongoing investigations into high-speed road crimes in Gurugram.
- Animal welfare policy: Reported on concerns regarding the low budget allocated for stray dog sterilization by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (November 30, 2025).
- Urban culture: Featured the social media-driven popularity of a new Magnolia Bakery outlet in Gurugram (December 15, 2025).
Contact
X (Twitter): @AB_Hazardous ... Read More
