Thiruvananthapuram: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has assured a full-scale investigation into the recent collapse of a section of National Highway 66 at Kooriyad in Kerala’s Malappuram district. The assurance came after Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) Member of Parliament, E T Muhammed Basheer, met the minister in New Delhi on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum detailing the gravity of the incident.
In a Facebook post, Basheer said the Union Minister also promised strict action against the contractors responsible for the mishap. The accident, which occurred on Monday afternoon, caused a portion of the elevated highway to cave in and fall onto the service road below, damaging several vehicles and disrupting traffic between Thrissur and Kozhikode. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, but Basheer pointed out that travellers had a narrow escape from what could have been a major tragedy.
Basheer, who represents Ponnani in the Lok Sabha, blamed the collapse on poor construction practices and highlighted that the incident took place in an active construction zone. He criticised the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for failing to address such recurring issues seriously. He further urged the minister to appoint an expert team to probe the technical flaws and irregularities in the construction of NH 66, warning that similar accidents have been reported across the stretch from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram. He emphasised the importance of adapting highway construction to Kerala’s unique topography and weather patterns, particularly in view of frequent monsoon-related damages.
Meanwhile, the Youth Congress organised a protest march in Malappuram on Wednesday, targeting the office of the company involved in the highway construction. The protest, held in response to the collapse, escalated into a clash when police attempted to block the march. A scuffle ensued between the protestors and the police, resulting in a tense confrontation. Officers resorted to the use of force to disperse the crowd, and several Youth Congress workers, including leader Abin Varkey, were taken into custody.
The collapse of the highway segment has sparked widespread outrage among the public and the opposition. Leader of the Opposition, V D Satheesan, launched a scathing attack on the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, alleging widespread irregularities in national highway construction projects across the state.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described the incident as "unfortunate" and stated that the matter would be raised with the NHAI. He assured that necessary steps would be taken to rectify the issue and resume construction work with improved safety measures.
With PTI inputs