Vehicles passing through incomplete tunnel of Indore-Ichhapur highway risking lives:Unpaved road and darkness prevails inside tunnel, water seeping from mountain

No guard, no strong barricading, no warning board… there’s just an incomplete, raw tunnel openly inviting death and bikers who risk their lives speeding through it. This horrifying scene is of the Choral Tunnel being built on Khandwa Highway, just 36 kilometers away from Indore. This is the same tunnel where work has been stopped for six months after the tragic death of two workers who were buried under debris. But the system’s negligence is so severe that even today this tunnel remains a ‘shortcut’ for common people, which could cause a major accident at any time. When Dainik Bhaskar’s team reached the spot to witness the reality of this deadly negligence, at least a dozen bikers passed through this closed tunnel right in front of the team. The Bhaskar reporter also rode a bike in this incomplete tunnel for 15 minutes, but there was no one to stop or check. When NHAI officials were contacted about this matter, they weren’t even aware of the situation. Scene-1: Nominal restriction, fearless movement of bike riders Near Choral village, this tunnel is being constructed by cutting through a massive hill. This is an important part of the Indore-Ichhapur four-lane project, which upon completion will be called the state’s second-largest road tunnel. Coming from Indore, the construction agency ‘Mega Infrastructure’ has provided a diversion outside Choral, but there is no one to monitor if it’s being used. A pile of dirt has been placed on the road to stop cars, which seems nothing less than a joke. This pile is no obstacle for bike riders. They easily pass through by going around it or over it towards the tunnel. Right before our eyes, three to four bikes passed through here. Scene-2: Life continues where workers died We reached the other end of the tunnel (from the Khandwa side). The scene here was even more frightening. In front was the same pile of debris where an accident six months ago had claimed the lives of two workers. The marks of that tragedy were still fresh today. Here too, a similar temporary mound of soil was created to stop vehicles, but no security personnel were deployed. Just then, two bikes emerged from the tunnel with four young men riding them. They were surprised to see the pile of dirt and said to each other, “There was nothing here in the morning, who put this now?” After some effort, they managed to get their bikes over the pile. When we asked them why they were using this dangerous tunnel, they said – this route is shorter. We live in Choral and work in Mandi. We came through here in the morning too. Going around through the village takes 7 kilometers extra and wastes 10-15 minutes. It also saves petrol. Everyone uses this route. Scene-3: Bhaskar team in tunnel for 15 minutes, no one to stop Taking a bike from these youngsters, we decided to measure the depth of this negligence ourselves. We entered inside the tunnel. The atmosphere inside was scary. The road was completely unpaved and rough. Water was continuously seeping from the walls, which had created mud and slippery conditions. Looking up, the raw rocks gave the feeling they could fall at any moment. We roamed from one tunnel to another for about 15 minutes, but we didn’t find a single security guard or any responsible person from the company who stopped us. Inside, we met an employee engaged in construction work. When we asked him how people are coming and going here, he casually said, work is stopped. Everyone comes and goes through here, there’s no problem. When we reminded him that this tunnel is unstable and could collapse at any time, we were stunned by his response. He said, “This is a risk indeed. People should be careful themselves not to use this route.” Why are people risking their lives? Risking life to save 10 minutes: During our approximately 20-minute wait at the tunnel entrance, we saw six to seven bikers passing through. Their logic was straightforward – saving time and money. Going through the village requires a 7-kilometer detour and an extra 15 minutes. For those who travel daily to the market, this ‘shortcut’ has become a habit, even if it costs them their life. Accusations of profiteering: Villagers have also alleged that when there is traffic jam on the main road, construction agency personnel allegedly take money from large vehicles and let them pass through this incomplete tunnel. Yellow soil mountain that could collapse anytime: Sachin Gupta, a resident of Choral, says that the accident six months ago was also due to water seepage. He said, this entire mountain is made of yellow soil. There is always a risk of it collapsing during rain or when water seeps through. Construction company washes hands off, NHAI gives rehearsed response The contract for construction of this tunnel is with ‘Mega Infrastructure’. When we questioned company official Chandan Patel about this serious negligence, he initially kept denying. When told that our team was present at the site, he gave an absurd argument saying, How can we stop the villagers? Our vehicles also pass through there. What can we do if people come? When NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) Project Director Praveen Yadav, who is monitoring this project, was contacted, he also gave a typical government response. He said, The tunnel work is in progress. It might have stopped due to some reasons or pending approvals. I will look into it. If there are any deficiencies in security arrangements, those will also be fixed.