LUCKNOW, June 20 -- Hours after the state capital received the first proper pre-monsoon shower, a section of the service lane in Sector 18 of Indira Nagar caved in on Friday. And the monsoon is yet to set in!

The incident has raised fresh concerns over the quality of work and the negligence of civic authorities in maintaining road infrastructure.

The crater, which is around 2.5 feet deep and 3 feet wide, is large enough to swallow a small hatchback, according to a senior Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) official. The road collapse occurred on a stretch maintained by the Public Works Department (PWD), and officials have barricaded the area to prevent accidents.

PWD national highway division executive engineer, Raj Kumar Pithoria, sai...