NH-66 collapse in Kerala: Centre debars construction and consultancy firms involved
The Union Ministry for Road Transport and Highways has debarred the contractor allegedly responsible for the collapse of a significant portion of the elevated national highway-66 near the Kooriyad bridge in Malappuram district in Kerala on May 19 from participating in future Central government tenders.
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader and Lok Sabha member from Malappuram, E.T. Muhammed Basheer, told reporters in New Delhi on Thursday (May 22, 2025) that the action transpired after he met with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari at the latter's office in New Delhi on Wednesday and apprised him of the public safety risk posed by the arterial NH-66's 'structural flaws' in Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kasaragod and Thrissur districts.
He said Mr Gadkari deputed an expert committee headed by retired IIT-Delhi professor G.V. Rao, which consisted of technical experts Jimmy Thomas and Anil Dixit, to conduct a preliminary inquiry. Based on their prefatory report, the Central government blacklisted the Andhra Pradesh-based construction company KNR Constructions.
The Centre also barred the consultant firm, Highway Engineering Consultant (HEC), from participating in future construction tenders floated by the Union government. The Centre also brought two company officials under the ambit of its ongoing inquiry into the highway collapse.
Mr Basheer stated that the Centre also withdrew the bank guarantees for the two firms. He said Mr Gadkari promised to conduct a safety audit of NH-66 passing through north Kerala and send teams to examine stretches under construction. He said the Centre would recover the cost of the upcoming rectification works from KNR Constructions and HEC.
DPR questioned
Meanwhile, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) resident engineer, Manoj Kumar, told reporters in Malappuram that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted to the NHAI appeared faulty. For one, the DPR had no provision for underpasses to ensure the connectivity of residents on either side of the walled-off elevated NH-66 at Kuriyadi.
Suresh Gopi, MP, cast doubts on DPR's soundness in Thrissur. Speaking to reporters. Mr Gopi alleged that some vested interests had altered the DPR three times to suit their interests at the expense of the local environment.
UDF charge
Kerala's Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan said the United Democratic Front (UDF) had flagged the unscientific and environmentally destructive design of the NH-66 passing through paddies and wetlands. He said the designers failed to assess the environmental impact before finalising the project. 'They failed to conduct soil tests or study the natural water flow or seasonal precipitation', he added.
However, the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) ridiculed the UDF's concerns in the Assembly. At the same time, the government took credit for the completion of NH-66. Neither the Centre nor the Kerala government is owning up to responsibility for the structural precariousness of the NH stretches across Kerala', he added.
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