NHAI admits to design failure; suspends project director, terminates site engineer

Time of India

30-05-2025

Kozhikode: Taking stern action on the collapse of the NH-66 stretch at Kooriyad in Malappuram, the NHAI on Thursday suspended the project director and terminated the services of the site engineer.
The highways authority also directed the concessionaire to clear the debris at the site and rectify the damage by constructing a new flyover at a cost of Rs 80 crore.
According to sources, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is considering building a viaduct to replace the collapsed embankment cutting through a paddy field. A show cause notice for debarring for one year was issued, along with a fine of Rs 20 lakh, against design consultant Strata Geosystem Mumbai and HBS Infra Engineers, Hyderabad, which was engaged by the concessionaire.
NHAI also issued a show cause notice to safety consultant Sri Infotech, engaged by it, along with a fine of Rs 20 lakh. It has constituted an additional three-member expert committee comprising Kishor Kumar, retired CRRI senior scientist; Sudheesh T K, associate professor, IIT Palakkad; and V Ambili, deputy director general, Geological Survey of India, to assess the adequacy of slope protection measures adopted and embankment/RE wall design for all 17 ongoing projects on NH-66 in Kerala.
The authority had earlier said a preliminary assessment suggested that the failure of the Kooriyad NH stretch was due to the inability of the foundation soil to support the high embankment loads. On May 21, it suspended the concessionaire, KNR Constructions, Hyderabad, from participating in future bids and issued a show cause notice to levy a penalty of Rs 11.8 crore as well as debarment for up to one year.
Design failure: NHAI chairman Santhosh Kumar Yadav and secretary to the ministry of road transport and highways, V Umashankar, admitted before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that a design flaw had led to the collapse of the under-construction stretch.
They made the admission at a PAC meeting held in New Delhi on Thursday.
PAC chairman K C Venugopal MP told reporters after the meeting that the committee directed the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to conduct a performance audit, including examining the contract and design of the road stretch of NH-66. The CAG audit was ordered as there were other complaints, including about granting sub-contracts to other firms for carrying out the works.
The PAC was told that it was the concessionaire that finalised the road design and, as such, had responsibility for the lapse. Venugopal said a team led by the NHAI chairman would visit the mishap sites in Kerala for three days from Saturday. He said the team would also visit road stretches with potential risk for similar incidents.
Meanwhile, a three-member committee of experts from IIT Palakkad, CRRI and GSI was constituted to inspect the sites where charges of unscientific construction have been levelled.
They were asked to inspect the accident site, visit areas with potential risk for similar incidents and ensure that future construction work proceeds only after such risks are ruled out. PAC has also asked the NHAI to submit a report in this regard within three weeks.
Venugopal, who visited the Kooriyad site on Wednesday, said the design and construction were not suited to Kerala's unique conditions. "For example, in Kooriyad — an area filled with paddy fields and wetlands — the road was constructed without a strong basement.
Though local people pointed out that an elevated highway would be more appropriate, that suggestion was ignored," he said.
Meanwhile, another section of the retaining wall of the Kooriyad stretch collapsed on Thursday. The newly collapsed site is near the site of the previous embankment failure on May 19. Also, with continued heavy rainfall, nearby paddy fields have become waterlogged.
NHAI project director Anshul Sharma and assistant director Abhishek Kala conducted an on-site inspection. Following the collapse, vehicles are being diverted through the Kooriyad–Panambuzha road managed by Vengara panchayat.