A cave-in on the road connecting Saggur Chowk and Ferozepur Road on Friday exposed damage to an underground water supply pipeline, with municipal corporation (MC) officials saying prolonged leakage had eroded the soil beneath the carriageway and caused the collapse.Traffic being diverted after the incident. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)The incident occurred outside Onn Hotel, where a crater nearly 10 feet wide and 12 feet deep developed, prompting the civic body to barricade the affected stretch and launch repair work.MC junior engineer Jotbir Singh, who supervised the restoration work, said a 12-inch water supply pipeline running parallel to a sewer had developed cracks at multiple points. Water leaking from the pipeline gradually washed away the soil beneath the road, while the resulting slush exerted pressure on the adjoining brick sewer wall, causing it to collapse. The soil was then washed into the sewer, leaving a hollow beneath the road that eventually gave way.Sandeep Kumar, a security guard posted outside the hotel, said the road first developed depressions in the morning. “We immediately cordoned off the affected portion, but the depressions kept widening before the road finally caved in,” he said.Officials said the damaged section of the pipeline would be replaced to restore water supply, following which the collapsed sewer wall would be repaired. The road will be reopened after the restoration work is completed.The stretch has witnessed similar incidents in the past. In July 2012, a truck got trapped after the road caved in at nearly the same location, leaving one person dead. Residents said the road has caved in several times over the years.MC commissioner Ojasvi Alankar said, “A joint commissioner has been tasked with ascertaining the exact cause of the latest cave-in. The civic body may inspect the entire stretch to identify any leakages in the underground pipeline network and prevent such incidents in future.”