No scientific study or technical assessment has been conducted in the past five years to identify the root causes of repeated road damage and poor durability of road surfaces in Kerala, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari confirmed in Parliament.
Several sections of National Highway 66 (NH-66), currently under construction or being widened across Kerala, have developed cracks—and in some cases, partially collapsed—in recent months.
The most alarming case occurred on May 19, when a section of the under-construction NH-66 near the Kooriyad bridge in Malappuram district caved in, damaging a service road and a retaining wall built over a reclaimed paddy field.
Four vehicles were on the service road when the incident happened, and human fatalities were avoided purely by chance.
Allegations have been raised that these incidents of road cave-ins and crack formations on several stretches of NH-66 in the state are the result of the National Highways Authority of India failing to identify vulnerable sectors and implement site-specific engineering solutions.
On May 12, an 18-year-old construction worker died and two others were injured when a portion of a hillock near Cheruvathur in Kasaragod collapsed during NH construction.
Last year, the Geological Survey of India (GSI), Kerala unit, conducted a site assessment in September 2024 at Bevinchi, Thekkil, Veeramalakunnu, and Mattalayi hills in Kasaragod, where work on the NH-66 extension and excavation was in progress.
The GSI warned of a ‘moderate to high’ risk of landslides along the cut slopes. This assessment was carried out after the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority requested the GSI to study the specific stretch.
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Incidentally, the Cheruvathur incident occurred close to the Mattalayi study area.
Responding to a question raised by E.T. Mohammed Basheer, MP, Gadkari today confirmed that any damages on the National Highway are to be rectified by the respective concessionaires or contractors at their own cost.
Notably, contractors are obligated to maintain the roads for 15 years in Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) projects, and for 5 years (in the case of flexible pavements) or 10 years (in the case of rigid pavements and structures) in Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) projects after completion.
Following the May 19 incident, infrastructure firm KNR Constructions had to accept responsibility for the structural failure. Subsequently, the central government debarred KNR Constructions for two years. Based on an initial inquiry carried out by a two-member team, the Centre took punitive measures against the project consultant, Highway Engineering Consultant (HEC).
After the May 19 incident, the Centre had formed an expert committee to assess vulnerable locations prone to damage across all ongoing NH-66 projects in Kerala and recommend appropriate remedial measures. The committee is yet to submit its report.