Indore's Rs 40-crore Smart City road caves in during pipe test, CCTV clip is viral

A road built under the Indore Smart City project at a cost of Rs 40 crore collapsed during a water pipeline pressure test.A road worth Rs 40 crore caved in during a pipeline pressure test in Indore.A road built at a cost of Rs 40 crore in Indore caved in during the testing of a newly laid 24-hour water supply pipeline. The road was constructed around three years ago under the Smart City project.CCTV footage of the incident has gone viral on social media.As seen in the video, the road surface broke open and water began flowing out at high pressure from the crevices. Vehicles and pedestrians in the area were seen swiftly moving away from the spot following the sudden collapse.The damage during the pipeline test has now drawn scrutiny about the construction and technical standards followed while developing the road. Concerns have also been raised over how the road would withstand heavy rainfall, continuous traffic and future utility work if its surface and underlying structure were affected during a mere pressure test.Rajendra Rathore, a member of the Indore Municipal Corporation and head of its Information Committee, has sought a high-level investigation into the project. He alleged that several works carried out under the Smart City project, costing around Rs 1,000 crore in total, had faced questions over quality. Rathore said he had previously flagged the quality of construction with the then mayor and municipal commissioner, but action was only limited to issuing notices. He also claimed that the road had required repeated repairs despite being constructed only a few years ago.Rajendra Rathore has written to the Prime Minister’s Office, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Madhya Pradesh Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, seeking an impartial investigation.The immediate task for the municipal corporation and construction agency is to repair the damaged stretch and assess the road’s structural condition.A technical enquiry will also be crucial in determining what caused the collapse and whether any construction or engineering shortcomings contributed to it.- EndsPublished By: Srimoyee ChowdhuryPublished On: Aug 18, 2026 16:16 IST