A second sinkhole has appeared on Lahore’s Khayaban-e-Firdousi Road just days after the first, raising fresh concerns over the quality of a Rs2 billion road reconstruction project.
The road, rebuilt at a cost of more than Rs2 billion after 18 months of construction, failed to withstand the season’s first spell of heavy rainfall.
The latest collapse is the second sinkhole to emerge within three days, prompting renewed scrutiny of the performance of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) and the Punjab government.
The reconstruction project was launched to address recurring road collapses caused by leaking sewerage lines and was intended to provide a long-term solution to the problem.
However, the appearance of two sinkholes following the first major monsoon rains has renewed questions about the quality of the work and the effectiveness of the agencies responsible for executing the project.
Authorities have yet to comment on the cause of the latest collapse or announce whether an investigation will be launched.