The Union Ministry for Road Transport and Highways has debarred the contractor, KNR Constructions, allegedly responsible for the collapse of elevated NH 66 under construction at Kooriyad in Malappuram. Highway Engineering Consultant (HEC), which worked as consultant for the project has also been banned, along with it

An expert team from the NHAI inspected the site where the retaining wall of the under-construction stretch of NH 66 collapsed at Kooriyad in Malappuram on Monday. The team comprising Dr Anil Dixit from Jaipur and Dr Jimmy Thomas from Kochi conducted a preliminary assessment of the damaged section, which includes both the main highway and the service road.

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According to initial observations, no irregularities were found in the construction of the protective wall, which was built using cement blocks. “The initial conclusion points to a soil-related issue,” said Jimmy Thomas.

“We need to conduct a detailed analysis of all aspects, including soil composition, road design, and construction methodology. Only after a thorough study can we confirm the exact cause,” he said

Apart from Kooriyad in Malappuram, several other sections of roads constructed under the NH 66 widening project continued to cave in and develop cracks in various parts of northern Kerala. On Wednesday, multiple landslips at the NH construction site at Kuppam in Kannur triggered protests by residents who blocked the road. The landslides were reported twice in a single day on the stretch.

In Kasaragod, a crack measuring 72 feet in length appeared on the NH near Mavungal, near the location where a crack had developed on Tuesday. The service road near Kooliyangal, near Kanhangad, also collapsed, heightening concerns about the quality of road work in the area.

The Youth Congress took out a protest march in Kooriyad on Wednesday. The demonstrators, led by state leaders including Abin Varkey, marched towards the office of KNR Constructions Ltd, accusing it of negligence and demanding accountability

Meanwhile, Kozhikode MP M K Raghavan, in a letter, asked Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to take immediate steps to address the issue before the onset of monsoon. “There are many places in Kozhikode where hills were razed unscientifically for the construction of the road,” he said.