Fresh cracks have appeared on a recently repaired section of Uttar Pradesh’s Ganga Expressway near Unnao, only days after a 10-metre-deep crater opened on another stretch of the Rs 36,230-crore highway following heavy rain. The latest damage occurred on patchwork carried out by the National Highways Authority of India after earlier reports of soil settlement and erosion in the same area. The development has renewed questions about the expressway’s ability to withstand intense rainfall and has drawn sharp political criticism.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav responded with a strongly worded social media post warning that lives were in danger. He described the cracks as resembling the currents of the river itself and claimed they stood as evidence of corruption under the BJP government, adding that such corruption was deadly. The remarks have intensified the political debate surrounding the project’s construction quality and maintenance.
On August 18 a large crater formed near kilometre 421 on the Meerut-Prayagraj carriageway, where a portion of the road and adjoining embankment was washed away after heavy rain. The incident followed earlier damage in July, when a seven-metre approach road linking the expressway to the Sonic toll plaza in Unnao suffered soil erosion and partial collapse of the carriageway. Repair work and patching were completed after that episode.
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The 594-kilometre, six-lane, access-controlled expressway was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 29. It connects Meerut with Prayagraj, passes through 12 districts of Uttar Pradesh, and was designed to reduce travel time between the two cities from approximately 12 hours to about six hours. Officials had projected the corridor as a significant infrastructure asset for the state.
Despite its recent inauguration, the expressway has recorded multiple instances of damage at different locations after periods of heavy rainfall. Concerns have focused on the adequacy of drainage systems and the stability of embankments in vulnerable sections. The reappearance of cracks on a stretch that had already undergone repair has heightened scrutiny of both construction standards and the effectiveness of subsequent remedial measures.
The sequence of incidents has kept the project under public and political examination. While authorities have responded with patchwork repairs after each reported failure, the recurrence of structural issues continues to raise questions about the long-term durability of the highway under monsoon conditions. Further assessments of the affected sections are expected as the debate over accountability and infrastructure resilience persists.
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