Agra road caves in after heavy rain, SP leader climbs into crater to ‘measure development’

A massive section of a road in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra caved in following heavy rain, prompting an unusual protest by Samajwadi Party leader Nitin Kohli, who climbed into the crater with a wooden ladder to take a swipe at the government’s development claims.

The incident occurred on Friday in Karmyogi Colony in the Kamla Nagar area, where a portion of the road suddenly collapsed, leaving behind a large crater.

SP leader enters crater

A video of the incident circulating on social media shows Kohli descending into the crater using a wooden ladder as two men hold it in place.

Once inside, the Samajwadi Party leader mocked the state government over the condition of roads and claimed that he had entered the pit to “measure” its vikas, or development.

“Is this how development looks? Wherever roads have been built, there are potholes everywhere,” Kohli said.

Calls Agra ‘Gaddha Nagari’

Taking his criticism further, Kohli described Agra as “Gaddha Nagari”, or the city of potholes, in a play on the city's reputation as the Taj city.

The unusual demonstration quickly drew attention online, with the road collapse once again bringing the quality of civic infrastructure and monsoon preparedness in Uttar Pradesh under scrutiny.

The incident comes weeks after cracks and sinking stretches were reported on the recently inaugurated Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway.

Residents blame poor construction

Residents of the area also expressed anger over the cave-in and questioned the quality of construction work.

Some locals described the massive crater as a “path to the underworld”, alleging that the rainfall had exposed shortcomings in the road's construction.

They also accused civic authorities of inadequate preparations ahead of the monsoon and demanded that the damaged stretch be repaired immediately.

Rain exposes civic concerns

The collapse has added to concerns over urban infrastructure during the monsoon, when waterlogging and sustained rainfall can expose weaknesses in roads, drainage systems and underground utilities.

For the Samajwadi Party, the crater became an opportunity to target the government over its development narrative, with Kohli turning the damaged road into a symbolic political protest.

The immediate concern for residents, however, remains the safety risk posed by the large crater in the middle of the residential area and the need for authorities to restore the road before further rainfall worsens the damage.