Gurugram, Aug. 27 -- Repair of the sinkhole at Iffco Chowk on the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway could not begin on Wednesday due to heavy sewer flow and is likely to start Thursday morning after the affected area is dewatered, GMDA officials said. Five pumps are being used to remove water from the sinkhole, while the sewer pipeline will be diverted on Wednesday night to facilitate repairs. A portion of the sewer drain on the Iffco Chowk service lane from Delhi towards Jaipur collapsed on Tuesday afternoon, damaging the road and creating a large sinkhole. The two service lanes were subsequently barricaded, causing congestion and panic among commuters. "Three tractor-mounted pumps and two stationary pumps have been deployed on the spot, and these are working continuously to dewater the spot. However, due to the very high flow of water, it was decided on Wednesday that the sewer line will be diverted so that the sinkhole can be repaired. This will be completed in the night, and we expect to start the repair from Thursday morning," a senior GMDA official said, requesting anonymity. After a detailed inspection on Tuesday night, GMDA officials found that the sewer drain coming from MG Road towards Iffco Chowk had collapsed and damaged the road. "This drain had earlier collapsed near the L-shaped underpass on MG Road, and it is quite old and in bad shape," the official said. The GMDA has decided to upgrade the pipeline from Iffco Chowk to Sikanderpur using MWSL (Machine Wound Spiral Lining) technology to address repeated cave-ins. "First we will carry out temporary repairs of the sinkhole to facilitate the movement of traffic. Thereafter, the sewer pipeline from Iffco Chowk to Sikanderpur will be repaired using MWSL. It is a trenchless technology used to rehabilitate existing pipelines, particularly storm water drains and sewer lines, by creating a new, structurally sound pipe within the old one. It is also cost effective," the official said, adding that a tender would be floated within a month. GMDA CEO PC Meena said a detailed survey of the entire sewer pipeline on MG road would be conducted after temporary repairs to find a permanent solution. NHAI officials at the site said the damaged road stretch and sinkhole had been completely barricaded, and they were waiting for the sinkhole to dry. "The flow of water is very high. Once repair work is started, we will cut a large portion of the road around the sinkhole," they said. Similar cave-ins have repeatedly been reported along the Subash Chowk-Sheeshpal Vihar stretch of Sohna Road, including near SD Adarsh Vidyalaya and Raheja Mall. The first was reported near SD Adarsh Vidyalaya in December 2023, followed by collapses in July and September 2024 and multiple incidents in 2025. Another major cave-in occurred near Subash Chowk in May 2026. Officials have linked the recurring failures to the ageing sewer pipeline beneath the road. After the May 2026 cave-in, NHAI sought Rs.58.27 crore plus GST for permanent rehabilitation of the sewer line between Rajiv Chowk and Sheeshpal Vihar....