10-metre-deep crater on Rs 36,000-crore Ganga Expressway after heavy rain

Heavy rain has opened a 10-metre-deep crater on the Ganga Expressway near kilometre 421. The collapse has renewed scrutiny of the corridor's construction quality and drainage within months of its inauguration.Heavy rain has opened a 10-metre-deep crater on the Ganga Expressway after heavy rain.A 10-metre-deep crater has opened up on Uttar Pradesh’s Ganga Expressway following heavy rains, raising serious questions over the quality of construction on the Rs 36,000-crore project barely four months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 594-km corridor.The damage was reported near kilometre 421 on the Meerut-Prayagraj carriageway, where a portion of the road and adjoining embankment has reportedly washed away.The crater formed on the railing of the expressway, prompting the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) to send a team to the spot for repairs.During the inauguration on April 29, PM Modi described the project as a transformative infrastructure corridor and said it would become a new lifeline for Uttar Pradesh’s development. The 594-km, six-lane, access-controlled expressway connects Meerut with Prayagraj and passes through 12 districts. It was built to significantly cut travel time between Meerut and Prayagraj, from around 12 hours to about six hours.The latest damage is not the first reported problem on the corridor. In July, a seven-metre approach road connecting the Ganga Expressway with the Sonic toll plaza in Unnao was damaged following heavy rain, with soil erosion along the embankment and part of the carriageway collapsing.The latest damage has once again put the spotlight on the durability of the ambitious infrastructure project, particularly its construction and drainage arrangements in areas vulnerable to heavy rainfall.UPEIDA officials have reached the affected site and repair work is underway.The cause of the damage and whether any construction deficiencies contributed to the collapse are yet to be established.- EndsPublished By: Karishma Saurabh KalitaPublished On: Aug 18, 2026 08:52 IST