NEW DELHI/MALAPPURAM: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has taken strict action over the construction flaws on National Highway 66. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has dismissed the site engineer and suspended the project director. KNR Constructions should demolish the damaged stretch at Kooriyad, Malappuram, and rebuild it at a cost of Rs 80 crore. A viaduct (a bridge supported by pillars) should be constructed there, and the work must be completed within four months.

Show-cause notices have been issued to the consultancy firms responsible for safety and design flaws. The notices were served to Mumbai-based Strata Geo Systems, Hyderabad-based HBS Infra Engineers, and Sri Infotech.

A three-member expert committee headed by retired IIT Delhi professor G.V. Rao has been appointed to examine if there were flaws in other sections of the highway across Kerala. For further investigation, a technical team including representatives from IIT Palakkad, the Geological Survey of India, and the Central Road Research Institute has also been formed.

The three-member committee, led by Prof. Rao, had earlier recommended demolishing and rebuilding a one-kilometre stretch at Kooriyad. This recommendation led to the current actions. According to the investigation report, the soil quality was not tested properly. A bridge was omitted in the paddy field area to cut costs. When water flooded the area, the pressure on the soil caused the road to collapse. The highway was constructed by building a wall 40 feet high from the service road and filling it with soil. It was recommended to connect the Kooriyad underpass with the underpass in the middle of the paddy field by constructing a 400-meter-long bridge.

Further collapse

The Kooriyad stretch of the national highway suffered more damage on Thursday. A side wall of the main road collapsed and fell onto the service road. This is near the spot of the earlier accident.

NHAI chairman to visit
The collapse of the national highway was deemed serious during a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) held in Delhi on Thursday. The NHAI Chairman, Santosh Kumar Yadav, has been directed to visit Kerala on Saturday for a three-day inspection. He will visit problem-affected areas across seven districts and assess ongoing construction sites. The PAC noted that there were no technical experts present to evaluate construction quality and progress. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has been asked to conduct a performance audit and submit a report within three weeks. The Union Transport Secretary, Umashankar, also attended the meeting.

"The NHAI has admitted that contractors committed irregularities. Subcontracts were awarded at up to 40% lower than the original costs, and tender conditions were not followed."

– K.C. Venugopal,
PAC Chairman