Crash of NH Stretch in Kerala Calls for Upgrading Safety Audit

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Thiruvananthapuram: The collapse of the embankment and service road along a 250-metre stretch of the under-construction National Highway 66 in Malappuram district, Kerala, makes a compelling case for upgrading the safety audit of major roads.

The caving in of this section of the Panvel-Kanyakumari NH has raised serious safety concerns and triggered public outcry.

A well-built highway network is the prime mover of a fast-growing economy. It represents a massive, long-term public investment made with the anticipation of handsome returns to the nation.

Over the last few decades, India has made tremendous progress in developing highways that interconnect states and economic nerve centres.

Multi-lane roads, spanning thousands of kilometres, have been completed and opened to traffic. This has reinforced supply chain movements and boosted key verticals of the economy. In many states, NH works are progressing steadily.

What happened in Malappuram may be an exception, as most completed NH stretches have largely withstood safety tests — even in geographies vulnerable to extreme weather events that typically inflict serious damage on roads.

However, this aberration must be taken as a serious indicator that demands improvement in planning, designing, and construction of highways.

Since the strength, safety, and durability of roads are non-negotiable, even a minor crack warrants prompt action and remedial measures wherever necessary.

The safety audit checklist must be updated using modern technology to facilitate systematic evaluation, documentation, and correction of potential hazards at every stage of construction.

In this particular case, authorities acted swiftly. No less than Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, intervened. He immediately instructed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and other agencies involved to conduct a thorough probe and fix responsibility for any lapses.

The concessionaire firm responsible for constructing the affected stretch of highway and the project consultant have been ‘disallowed.’

A high-level expert panel has been formed to investigate what went wrong and to recommend measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The state government has also expressed serious concern, with the political ecosystem taking sharp digs at the Centre. The ruling CPI(M) party has flagged corruption and nepotism in the awarding of NH contracts.

The incident has sparked a wider debate, with experts weighing in.

Technocrat E. Sreedharan, the architect of the Delhi Metro and other major mass transit projects, has raised doubts about the design of NH 66.

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According to Sreedharan (as quoted by local media), constructing a six-lane highway within a 45-metre width is unscientific. He argues that building an excessive number of flyovers, along with large embankments and deep cuttings in hilly terrain, reflects serious design flaws.

Other experts have pointed out that this collapse cannot be dismissed as a mere result of soil erosion due to heavy rains. Instead, it appears to stem from critical flaws in geo-technical planning and execution, resulting in structural weaknesses. Even a minor lapse at any stage of construction can seriously impact the integrity of the entire structure.

Calling for a deeper probe, experts believe the lapse might have occurred at the very initial stage of soil testing. Though often considered routine, soil testing is so critical that inaccurate findings can compromise the very foundation of modern roads built to bear heavy loads.

Meanwhile, public sentiment is deeply hurt by the incident.

The sacrifices made by citizens for big-ticket infrastructure projects often go unacknowledged. Thousands of families surrendered their properties for road construction. Though they were compensated, the displacement suffered by this silent majority far outweighs any monetary consolation.

Additionally, the sluggish pace of work has made life miserable for people in many areas across the state — particularly since the onset of the Southwest monsoon.