Unnao/Lucknow. Following the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, serious questions have now arisen regarding the quality of construction and safety standards of Uttar Pradesh’s ambitious Ganga Expressway project. The very first monsoon rains have exposed the reality behind the claims made about the expressway’s construction. After a similar incident in Amroha, a fresh alarm has been raised in Unnao district following the sudden subsidence of soil along the expressway’s embankment.
On Monday morning, near Bashiratganj in the Dahi police station area of Unnao, the soil on the expressway’s embankment suddenly gave way, severely affecting a stretch of approximately 10 meters. Upon receiving news of the incident, teams from the executing agency and the construction firm rushed to the site, and repair work was immediately initiated.
Soil Slips Along a 10-Meter Stretch in Unnao’s Bashiratganj
According to reports, soil erosion began near Bashiratganj village in the Dahi area of Unnao due to heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours. Early Monday morning, rainwater seeped into the roadside embankment, causing the soil to subside and affecting a section of the road’s edge spanning about 10 meters.
News of the road subsidence and soil erosion caused a stir among administrative officials. The executing agency immediately deployed JCB machines and a large workforce to the site. Plastic sheets were laid down to prevent further water seepage near the subsided embankment, and a sturdy earthen barrier (bund) was constructed to protect the main section of the road from damage.
Video Goes Viral on Social Media; Questions Raised
A video showing the soil subsidence and the subsequent repair work on the Ganga Expressway is rapidly going viral on social media. The video clearly shows large pits and shifting soil along the roadside, while workers are seen attempting to block the water flow by laying down plastic sheets. After videos went viral on social media, local residents and opposition parties have begun questioning the quality of materials used in the expressway’s construction. People argue that if this is the situation during just an ordinary spell of rain, it poses a significant danger to vehicular traffic throughout the entire monsoon season.
Similar incident reported in Amroha
This is not the first instance of such negligence regarding the Ganga Expressway. Just a few days ago, in a border area of Amroha district, heavy rain caused soil erosion along the expressway’s edge, damaging a section of the road.
Potholes and cracks had also recently appeared at various points along the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway. Now, the successive incidents of soil subsidence in Amroha and Unnao on the Ganga Expressway have cast serious doubt on the working methods of the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) and the construction companies involved.
What do experts identify as the cause?
According to civil engineers and infrastructure experts, proper ‘turfing’ (planting grass) and ‘pitching’ (coating with stone or concrete) are essential to protect the embankment slopes of highways or expressways from erosion caused by rainwater runoff.
The incidents in Unnao and Amroha make it clear that:
Adequate drainage systems were not put in place to prevent soil erosion before the rains.
The compaction of the slope was inadequate, causing the soil to slip as soon as water seeped in.
Clarification from UPEIDA and the executing agency
Regarding these incidents, officials from UPEIDA and the executing agency state that immediate repairs are being carried out wherever reports of soil slippage or subsidence are received. According to officials, the strong flow of rainwater washed away the unpaved soil along the embankment, but the expressway’s main carriageway—the primary road used by vehicles—did not sustain any major damage. Signage and barricades have been installed near the affected section as a safety precaution.
Concerns Over Commuter Safety
The Ganga Expressway is one of the state’s most ambitious projects, designed to directly connect the western region with eastern Uttar Pradesh. The emergence of such structural flaws during the early phase of the monsoon has raised concerns regarding the safety of motorists using the expressway. The local administration has stated that the situation is fully under control and that repair work is being carried out on a war footing.
