National highway caves in during repair works in Alathur

ALATHUR: A section of the national highway near Swathi Junction in Alathur caved in early Saturday morning. The road collapsed while vehicles were passing through. This stretch was under culvert construction. Travellers immediately informed National Highway authorities, and traffic through the area was halted. Construction of the culvert has now begun.

Soil was removed and stacked on both sides of the road for reinforcement for the construction of a drain. The National Highway Authority clarified that the collapse occurred because the soil was washed away by the rains, creating a sinkhole.

MP K. Radhakrishnan against construction company
In response to the highway cave-in, MP K. Radhakrishnan has spoken out against the national highway construction company. He criticised the fact that repairs and work on the highway were being carried out without providing alternative arrangements. He said repeated requests had been made to the construction company on this matter, but National Highway Authority officials failed to act.

He blamed the company's negligence for the damage to the road. “Those eager to collect tolls have failed to put proper systems in place,” he said.

There is also growing criticism that national highway construction in Palakkad district is being carried out without setting up parallel roads, leading to regular traffic blocks lasting for hours. The MP announced that a high-level meeting will be called regarding the road collapse. After visiting the site, he instructed the National Highway Project Director to immediately begin reconstruction of the collapsed section.