Key Points
Ground investigations found cracks and cave-ins on Ram Van Gaman Marg near Shringverpur Dham and Kaushambi, before the corridor's official inauguration.
A National Highway executive engineer attributed the damage to rainwater seepage and waterlogging, while UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya called road sinking "a common occurrence."
PNC Infratech, the company reportedly building the corridor, was also behind the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway, which developed similar cracks and was later declared a "non-performer" by the NHAI.
THE RAM VAN GAMAN MARG is one of Uttar Pradesh’s most expensive ventures. The religious-tourism corridor, tracing the exile route of Lord Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana from Ayodhya, cost a whopping ₹4,400 crore to construct. However, newly constructed sections of the corridor have caved in and developed several cracks near Shringverpur Dham in Prayagraj and Lal Gopalganj in Kaushambi, before the route was even officially inaugurated. Ground investigation reports by Dainik Bhaskar and ABP News revealed that the road has developed cracks and small craters in two locations of the roadway.
After the recent Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway controversy — when the road developed several cracks, cave-ins, and sinking stretches within three weeks of its high-profile inauguration — the cave in at the newly built Ram Van Gaman Marg has emerged as another major infrastructure issue in Uttar Pradesh. The road forms part of the four-lane corridor being constructed between Ayodhya and Chitrakoot.
The Ram Van Gaman Marg project covers around 210 km and is aimed towards creating a direct road connection between important religious and historical sites such as Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Shringverpur Dham, Kaushambi, and Chitrakoot. The project was officially launched in 2022 and was initially expected to be completed by December 2024 but faced delays. The Ram Van Gaman Marg was scheduled to be inaugurated by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, though it hasn't been finalized yet.
As per a news report by ABP News, cracks and potholes have appeared at four points along a nearly three-metre stretch of the Ram Van Gaman Marg near Lal Gopalganj in Kaushambi district. The report further said the section of the road was built in five separate patches, which was damaged following rains in the area.
The Shringverpur section of the Ram Van Gaman Marg is especially significant, as a six-lane bridge measuring around 1,200 metres is being built across the Ganga river as part of the connectivity project. The bridge will connect the trans-Ganga region with the Kaushambi city, and further towards Chitrakoot.
A separate ground inspection of the Ram Van Gaman Marg in Shringaverpur, conducted by Dainik Bhaskar, found similar damage across a wider stretch of nearly 500 metres of the four-lane road. Cracks and sunken portions were reported on both carriageways. The approach road to the bridge was also reportedly found tilted, while several sections of the road had sunk considerably.
National Highway (NH) Executive Engineer Ravindra Pal Singh stated to Times of India that owing to heavy rainfall and waterlogging, rainwater seeped in and consequently damaged parts of the road. He continued that repair work has commenced on the damaged portion and necessary action is being taken. The official remarked that the cave-ins and other damage to the road is solely linked to waterlogging and seepage caused by heavy rain, not because of any construction failures.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, speaking about the damage to the Ram Van Gaman Marg ahead of its inauguration, stated to reporters “If a road is constructed, it may sink, and once it does, it will be rebuilt. This is a common occurrence.”
Questions are now being raised over the construction quality of the Ram Van Gaman Path. After a section of the road was damaged following rainfall, repair work has commenced.
Allegedly, PNC Infratech is involved in the construction of the Ram Van Gaman Path as per the Dainik Bhaskar report. The company is owned by Pradeep Jain, brother of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha member Naveen Jain. PNC Infratech was also involved in the construction of the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway, where potholes were reportedly found at around 84 locations. After the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway collapsed, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) declared the company a non-performer.
The Ram Van Gaman Path religious corridor will start from Ayodhya and reach Chitrakoot by passing through several prominent cities like Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Jetwara, Shringverpur Dham, Manjhanpur, and Rajapur town in Kaushambi. The project includes newly developed greenfield stretches as well as sections of existing National Highways. A bridge over the Ganges near Shringverpur is another major component of the project. The bridge and improved road network are expected to facilitate travel between Shringverpur Dham and Kaushambi.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for several National Highway projects in Uttar Pradesh on January 6, 2022, including the Ram Van Gaman Path.
The Ram Van Gaman Path is linked with major religious destinations associated with the Ramayana tradition, including Ayodhya, Chitrakoot and Shringaverpur. The improved connectivity is expected to make it easier for devotees to travel to Shringaverpur, Kaushambi and Chitrakoot after visiting the Ram Temple. This could also help develop these destinations as part of a common religious tourism circuit.
(Edited by Harsh Pandey)
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