Ludhiana, Jan. 28 -- The season's first spell of winter rain has exposed glaring vulnerabilities in underground services and road restoration works in parts of the city, prompting the municipal corporation to step in and undertake repairs. On Republic Day, a portion of the main road in the busy Model House market caved in, disrupting traffic movement in the area.

Earlier, a similar incident of road subsidence was reported near the residence of minister Sanjeev Arora, which was attended to and repaired the same day. In the Model House case, the cave-in occurred on January 26, when most MC staff were on holiday. As an immediate safety measure, water tankers and flower pots were placed over the affected stretch to warn commuters. Civic body...