National Highway collapse: Contract company blacklisted, two officials suspended

NEW DELHI: The Central government has initiated strict measures in response to the collapse of National Highway 66 prior to its inauguration, attributing the incident to construction flaws. The construction firm KNR Constructions and the consultancy Highway Engineering, who were carryng out works at the Kooriyad stretch in Malappuram district, have been blacklisted. Project Manager M. Amarnath Reddy and Team Leader Rajkumar were suspended. A show-cause notice has been issued to an engineer.

The contract company will bear the cost of repairing the damaged section, and the project will be completed accordingly. Guidelines will be issued to prevent similar incidents in future projects.

The Hyderabad-based KNR company is likely to be barred from participating in road construction tenders for one year. A show-cause notice has also been sent to ensure there is no delay in compensation.

The most damage occurred on the service road and main highway at the Kooriyad section. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways took action based on a report by Dr. Anil Dixit from Jaipur and Dr. Jimmy Thomas from Kochi, who investigated the damage. According to their report, the foundation soil collapsed, unable to bear the weight of the road built on the filled land.

KNR Constructions accepts responsibility
Officials from KNR Constructions have accepted responsibility for the highway collapse. They stated that a detailed investigation will be conducted to determine exactly what went wrong. If a bridge is required at the collapsed section, the company is prepared for that too. Executive Director Jalandhar Reddy said the company will proceed based on expert guidance.

Expert panel to investigate multiple sites
An expert committee, including Anil Dixit, Jimmy Thomas, and led by IIT Delhi professor G.V.K.R. Rao, will inspect structural failures at Kooriyad, Thrissur, Kuppam, and Kanhangad sections and evaluate general national highway construction standards. Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari personally intervened in the matter after MP E.T. Mohammed Basheer met him in person and submitted a complaint.

KNR’s past work and issues

• KNR had the contract for the NH-66 stretch from Ramanattukara (Kozhikode) to Valanchery (Malappuram).
• 97% of the construction was completed when heavy rains led to the collapse.
• KNR had previously worked on the NH-47 Walayar–Vadakkenchery stretch and the Kazhakoottam–Mukkola junction four-lane bypass.

Structural flaw identified at Kuppam

• Cracks on the Kuppam road section in Kannur were found to be due to design flaws in the Detailed Project Report (DPR), as per the National Highway Authority.
• Drainage issues in Kuppam will be reviewed, specifically redirecting stormwater to the Kuppam river.
• Contractors Megh Constructions, operating in Kuppam and Kanhangad, are based in Hyderabad and are also under scrutiny.