Soil Cave-in at Tunnel in Odisha’s Boudh Sparks Row Over Railway ‘Negligence’

A soil cave-in at a tunnel under construction in Odisha’s Boudh district has stirred controversy, with Odisha Congress president Bhakta Charan Das blaming the incident on negligence by railway authorities. The mishap occurred on Monday afternoon in the Adenigarh area of Harabhanga block, part of the ongoing Khurda-Bolangir railway project.

Fortunately, no casualties were reported.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, Das alleged that the collapse was a result of “serious lapses” in planning and execution by the railways. “This is not a natural incident. It happened because of poor supervision, weak soil assessment, and an overall lack of accountability by the concerned officials,” he said.

Railway authorities, however, attributed the incident to the area’s natural soil conditions and persistent rainfall over the past few days. “The soil in the region is inherently loose, and the recent continuous rain may have weakened the structure further,” a railway spokesperson stated.

The incident has prompted concerns about the safety and structural integrity of the ambitious Khurda-Bolangir project, a critical infrastructure development aimed at improving connectivity in western Odisha.

Local residents and workers have urged the government to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure better safety measures at construction sites, especially during the monsoon season.

No official inquiry has been announced yet, but pressure is mounting on railway officials to review safety protocols and expedite the project without compromising on quality.