Jaipur:
A newly built state highway which was awaiting inauguration was washed away in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district.
The flow in Katli River, which passes through an area called Baghuli in the district’s Udaipurwati, became strong and the water level also rose following heavy rain on Sunday.
The weather office said the area saw rainfall of 86 mm.
The strong currents of the river pushed against the newly built road and took away a large chunk of it.
Katli is a seasonal river that flows through Sikar Jhunjhunu and Churu districts. The river has seen growing encroachment in recent times. The state administration had even launched a drive to free the river of encroachments and illegal sand and gravel miners.
People from villages in neighbouring Baghuli and Jahaj rushed out to see the spectacle, and made videos. They surface on social media later. One of the videos showed that an electric pole also collapsed into the water when the road caved in.
The state highway was constructed six months ago to connect Baghuli and Jahaj with National Highway 52, which leads to Jhunjhunu and Sikar.
Sunday’s incident has raised questions about the quality of the construction material used. A team from the public works department is likely to inspect the road and submit a report.
