Besides the partial collapse of a section of NH-66, cracks have developed on the asphalted surface of the road at several places, prompting the high court to pose serious questions at the NHAI.
Published May 24, 2025 | 11:59 AM ⚊ Updated May 24, 2025 | 11:59 AM
A part of the national highway collapsed on 19 May.
Synopsis: A section of the under-construction six-lane National Highway-66 caved in at Kooriyad in Malappuram, raising serious questions about the quality of work. The damaged road also triggered a controversy with the UDF taking potshots at the LDF, and the latter holding the NHAI responsible.
As the race for credit over Kerala’s ambitious National Highway (NH)-66 expansion project gathered pace between the Centre and the state, a string of alarming structural failures has forced both to hit the brakes.
On 19 May, just a day before the Pinarayi Vijayan government marked the fourth anniversary of its second term, a section of the under-construction elevated portion of the NH-66 at Kooriyad near Tirurangadi in Malappuram went crashing down, injuring motorists and halting traffic.
The shock was soon followed by cracks surfacing on newly completed stretches of the highway in Kannur and Thrissur, triggering a political storm, high-level deliberations, sackings, actions, and fresh concerns over construction quality.
The Union and state governments, which had been vying to claim credit for the highway’s progress, now find themselves staring at an uncomfortable reality.
It seems this year, the monsoon winds may carry more than just rain: they bring with them serious questions about construction standards, oversight, and public safety.
On 19 May afternoon, a section of the under-construction elevated NH-66 collapsed at Kooriyad near Tirurangadi, injuring several commuters and disrupting vehicular movement between Kakkad and Thalappara.
The collapsed portion, built across the paddy fields of Kooriyad, gave way and sent cement blocks and debris crashing down nearly 30 feet onto the service road below, damaging three cars.
Passengers were forced to abandon their vehicles and flee for safety. Six people sustained minor injuries in the incident.
Both sides of the service road suffered extensive damage, with deep cracks appearing along the stretch. An earthmover stationed on the elevated section also tumbled down during the collapse.
Local residents, who rushed to the site to warn others to stay away, voiced serious concerns about the structural integrity of the highway construction in the flood-prone, low-lying area and warned that further collapses were possible if no corrective action was taken.
In the aftermath, traffic was diverted through VK Padi via Mamburam.
Officials from the National Highways Authority said it would take at least a couple of days to restore normal traffic through the affected stretch.
Tirurangadi MLA KPA Majeed, who visited the site, blamed the collapse on substandard and unscientific construction practices.
“We repeatedly raised concerns with the NH authorities about the poor-quality embankment being built in a waterlogged area like Kooriyad. Our warnings were ignored. A similar collapse occurred last year when the monsoon began. If the authorities continue to disregard public concerns, the consequences will be severe,” Majeed said.
Echoing similar concerns, local residents alleged that the construction was of poor quality.
Though multiple sections of the elevated service roads along NH-66 in Malappuram district had previously collapsed during rains, the Kooriyad incident is being described as the most serious yet.
The episode has brought renewed scrutiny to KNR Constructions Ltd (KNRC), the company awarded the construction contract.
A large part of the highway in this area was built by elevating the terrain using gabion walls, with interlocking cement bricks on the exterior and soil filling the core. Residents allege that KNRC ignored repeated complaints about the unsuitability of this method in the region’s soggy terrain.
It is being pointed out that paddy fields where the highway is being constructed are known for waterlogging.
Despite repeated demands by residents to build the elevated highway on concrete pillars, authorities opted for a ground-raised embankment approach.
It seems those fears were realised with the collapse, which also brought down a portion of the embankment.
According to NHAI engineers, the collapse of an eight-metre-high embankment alongside the service road in the low-lying paddy fields was caused by rainwater seeping into the soil.
Cracks have formed on the asphalted surface at several parts of the highway.
They explained that the absence of a bitumen concrete top layer on the elevated highway allowed rainwater to penetrate the soil, increasing the pressure on the concrete-side walls. This pressure eventually pushed the side walls outward, damaging the service road below.
NHAI officials denied any lapse in engineering, attributing the incident to unseasonal rains before the completion of the highway’s top layer. They assured that restoration work would be undertaken immediately and that the service road would be rebuilt to restore vehicular movement.
Local residents had earlier demanded the construction of a flyover instead of an embankment. However, NHAI engineers maintained that the embankment was not inherently problematic.
They insisted that the sudden heavy rains and subsequent water seepage were to blame for the failure. Had the top bitumen layer been in place, the embankment would have withstood the rains, they said.
Meanwhile, KNRC, the firm executing the project, initially attributed the incident to unforeseen soil conditions at the site and a high water table.
In a statement, the company noted: “Owing to certain indeterminate subsoil conditions and elevated water table at this location, one of the approach ramps near the vehicular underpass experienced excessive settlement, leading to distortion of the adjoining service roads. All necessary steps are being taken to reinstate the service road on either side of the main carriageway at the earliest.”
Later, KNRC took full responsibility for the mishap and expressed willingness to construct a new bridge at the site if required.
In the wake of the incident, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader and Ponnani MP ET Muhammed Basheer met Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on 21 May, seeking urgent intervention.
ET Muhammed Basheer sought the urgent intervention of Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.
Basheer conveyed public outrage over the incident and demanded accountability from the NHAI and the Andhra Pradesh-based contractor responsible.
Gadkari reportedly assured swift action, announcing a high-level committee with IIT experts to inspect structural flaws and safety risks along the affected NH-66 stretch. The NH-66 connects Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu with Panvel in Maharashtra, and the road passes through Kerala, Karnataka, and Goa.
The minister promised strict action against NHAI officials and engineers for oversight lapses, and informed Basheer that the contractor’s bank guarantee had been withdrawn. He also pledged to disqualify and blacklist the firm from future national highway projects. Basheer flagged similar issues in Kozhikode and Kasaragod, prompting Gadkari to order a comprehensive safety audit.
Meanwhile, protests erupted in Thrissur’s Chavakkad and Kannur’s Taliparamba over poor-quality construction, landslips, and waterlogging, with residents staging road blockades. Youth Congress workers picketed the construction firm’s office in Malappuram, demanding safety checks, before being removed by police.
The following day, on 22 May, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) blacklisted Hyderabad-based KNR Constructions Ltd, holding it responsible for the collapse.
The NHAI barred the firm from participating in ongoing and future bids. The Highway Engineering Consultant (HEC) overseeing the project was similarly disallowed from future bids, and two senior officials from both firms were suspended.
This action followed a visit by a central expert team led by IIT Delhi’s Prof. G.V. Rao, which submitted a preliminary report to the ministry. KNR Constructions later confirmed that its concessionaire, KNR Ramanattukara Infra Pvt Ltd, was suspended from bidding for one month or until the expert panel concludes its probe — whichever is earlier.
Notably, this marks the second time MoRTH has blacklisted KNR Constructions.
Following the incident, LDF and UDF traded blame. The latter was quick to corner the LDF government.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hit back at the Congress-led Opposition for politicising the NH-66 expansion issue, asserting that the project is entirely under the NHAI.
“Land acquisition was our duty to the nation. Blaming the LDF for what’s beyond its control is unfair,” he said.
The remarks follow sharp criticism from Opposition leaders over cracks and structural damage on stretches of the newly widened highway in Kannur and Thrissur.
Congress leader K Muraleedharan quipped, “NH-66 had two fathers. After the collapse, it’s become an orphan.”
Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan slammed both Vijayan and Public Works Minister PA Mohamed Riyas for distancing themselves after celebrating the project as an LDF success story.
Chief Minister Vijayan on Friday said it was the responsibility of the Centre and the NHAI to address the issues along the National Highway.
Speaking at the valedictory function of the LDF government’s fourth anniversary celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram, he assured that if there were any technical lapses during the highway’s construction, they would be thoroughly examined.
“There’s no need to worry that the entire highway is unstable and might collapse. The NHAI has the required technical expertise and will be able to rectify any faults,” the Chief Minister added.
However, Satheesan accused the government of double standards. “The Palarivattom flyover didn’t collapse, yet the Pinarayi government rushed to file a Vigilance case against the then minister, VK Ibrahim Kunju. Now, the same government remains silent when it comes to the Centre’s role in the highway issue,” Satheesan said.
Mocking the government’s response, he quipped, “It looks like the only solution the NHAI needs is to pour some tar over the cracks.”
Warning of tougher days ahead, Satheesan added, “The rains are set to intensify. Be prepared for even bigger cracks.”
The Opposition has demanded a probe into suspected changes in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and warned of further risks as the monsoon approaches.
CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan claimed the LDF’s intervention was key to the project’s progress and accused the NHAI of awarding contracts to firms linked to electoral bonds for the BJP. “We must identify where construction went wrong and blacklist those responsible. The UDF seems delighted by the road’s collapse — their only agenda is to halt development,” he added.
As political mudslinging intensifies, the cracks on NH-66 have widened the rift between Kerala’s ruling and Opposition fronts.
At the same time, the Kerala High Court on Friday came down heavily on the NHAI over the recent collapse of newly built stretches of the six-lane National Highway-66 in several parts of the state.
Following continuous rains over the past week, incidents of road cave-ins, cracks, and soil slips were reported from Thrissur, Malappuram, and Kannur districts, sparking serious concerns about the quality of construction.
Justice Devan Ramachandran, while hearing a long-standing petition on public road safety, observed that the people of Kerala had shown remarkable patience amid prolonged delays but were now deeply disappointed with the state of the new highway.
The court questioned whether the NHAI still retained confidence in the contractors entrusted with the project and directed the authority to act without delay to address public concerns. The NHAI assured the court it would swiftly file a report on the causes of the damage and the remedial steps being planned.
At the same time, the standing counsel for NHAI informed the court that continuous waterlogging was the primary reason for the collapse. The counsel added that action had been taken against the contractors responsible, including blacklisting, and that structural corrections would be made on affected stretches to prevent future mishaps.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
