India, Sept. 13 -- The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has begun cleaning the long-defunct non-motorable transport (NMT) lanes at Rajiv Chowk, removing debris and pumping out rainwater after videos of children swimming in the flooded subways went viral on social media earlier this month.

Contractors and workers were pressed into action after the September 1 downpour left the lanes filled to the brim with water. Officials said the NHAI has engaged a private firm to restore the subways within a fortnight. The agency will repair drains and floors, paint the walls, fix lighting and power supply, and install missing or stolen equipment to make the lanes usable again.

The NMTs have remained shut since July 19, 2021, when an auto-r...