Traffic in the Hauz Khas neighbourhood of south Delhi was severely disrupted on Saturday 31 July 2021, after a large sinkhole appeared beneath the IIT-Delhi flyover, causing local authorities to close of the area to traffic. The sinkhole is reported to have measured approximately four metres by twelve metres, and was repaired overnight. Nobody was injured by the incident.
Sinkholes are generally caused by water eroding soft limestone or unconsolidated deposits from beneath, causing a hole that works its way upwards and eventually opening spectacularly at the surface. Where there are unconsolidated deposits at the surface they can infill from the sides, apparently swallowing objects at the surface, including people, without trace.
In this case the sinkhole developed after a water pipe operated by the Delhi Jal Board, who supply potable water to homes and businesses in Delhi, began to leak. The water from this leak washed away soft sediments beneath the road, which eventually collapsed into the resulting hole. Thus, as well as the disruption caused to traffic in the area, many homes were left without water while the pipeline was repaired.
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