Rs 35-cr stormwater pipe bursts in Sirsa, damages Dabwali road

Anil Kakkar

Sirsa, July 29

A stormwater drainage pipe, installed at a cost of Rs 35 crore on Dabwali road in Sirsa, burst on Saturday, causing extensive damage to a 150-ft stretch. Consequently, a large amount of water accumulated on the road, leading to the collapse of a valve pit of the Public Health Engineering Department’s pipeline on the opposite road.

The department has initiated repairs, but traffic remains disrupted due to the poor condition of the road on either side. The residents are now calling the stormwater drainage project a failure. Local residents Baldev Singh, Kuldeep Kumar and Harish expressed concern over the durability of the infrastructure as the pipe had burst within a year of installation.

The pipe pressure was so high that debris was thrown five to seven feet into the air, indicating the risk it posed to vehicles and commuters had anyone been present. The pipeline beneath and alongside the road from Cotton Market to the Ghaggar is feared to be vulnerable to similar incidents. The project’s focus on pressure management seems inadequate, with concerns rising over how it will handle higher-intensity rainfall.

On the Dabwali road, the commuters remain inconvenienced as the situation has necessitated a route diversion, contributing to traffic congestion. The municipal committee’s contractor has yet to begin repairing the road.

The municipal committee had installed stormwater drainage system on Dabwali and Hisar roads. The project infrastructure, however, has given in within the first year, compromising adjoining public infrastructure. A total of Rs 45 crore was spent on both systems.

Atar Singh, municipal committee’s executive officer, said the issue arose due to dislodging of a plate over the pipeline. He attributed the problem to manual work and assured that repairs would be completed soon to resume normal traffic flow.