Latest news with #NH66
New Indian Express
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- New Indian Express
Contract firm KNRC blames slushy soil for NH collapse
KOCHI: KNR Constructions (KNRC) said the company has made no 'mistake' in the construction of NH 66 and attributed the collapse of the highway stretch at Kooriyad in Malappuram to unexpected subsoil conditions. According to KNRC, the company responsible for the Ramanattukara-Valanchery section of NH 66, the approach ramp with a reinforced earth (RE) wall yielded due to 'pockets of soft or slushy soil between the earth's layers' beneath the foundation. The Hyderabad-based listed company, in its latest earnings call, stated that the construction process followed proper protocols. 'We are very confident that we have not done any mistake... It's a completely waterlogged area... Proper approvals were taken, and thorough examination of the foundations were done during earthing, along with subsoil investigations,' K Jalandhar Reddy, promoter and executive director of KNRC, said in the call. Responding to analysts' questions, Reddy explained that the designs were made accordingly, and Strata Geosystems, a renowned RE Walls agency, had done the work. 'The design was verified and approved by the authorities concerned before execution. So, as such, we didn't see anything that would have indicated this issue. We treat this as an accident only,' he said. He said the company has put forth a proposal to NHAI to construct a viaduct in the damaged area —estimated to cost Rs 25-Rs 30 crore — to permanently resolve the issue. Reddy said this solution would prevent similar problems in the future given the road's 15-year maintenance requirement.
New Indian Express
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- New Indian Express
KNRC Contract firm blames slushy soil for NH collapse
KOCHI: KNR Constructions (KNRC) said the company has made no 'mistake' in the construction of NH 66 and attributed the collapse of the highway stretch at Kooriyad in Malappuram to unexpected subsoil conditions. According to KNRC, the company responsible for the Ramanattukara-Valanchery section of NH 66, the approach ramp with a reinforced earth (RE) wall yielded due to 'pockets of soft or slushy soil between the earth's layers' beneath the foundation. The Hyderabad-based listed company, in its latest earnings call, stated that the construction process followed proper protocols. 'We are very confident that we have not done any mistake... It's a completely waterlogged area... Proper approvals were taken, and thorough examination of the foundations were done during earthing, along with subsoil investigations,' K Jalandhar Reddy, promoter and executive director of KNRC, said in the call. Responding to analysts' questions, Reddy explained that the designs were made accordingly, and Strata Geosystems, a renowned RE Walls agency, had done the work. 'The design was verified and approved by the authorities concerned before execution. So, as such, we didn't see anything that would have indicated this issue. We treat this as an accident only,' he said. He said the company has put forth a proposal to NHAI to construct a viaduct in the damaged area —estimated to cost Rs 25-Rs 30 crore — to permanently resolve the issue. Reddy said this solution would prevent similar problems in the future given the road's 15-year maintenance requirement.
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Transport woes persist for Kunniyoramala residents amid NH 66 construction
Sixty-two-year-old K.V. Ramakrishnan recalls the death of a neighbour three months ago. The resident, whose family did not wish to be named, died of a heart attack after a doctor from a nearby hospital was unable to reach him due to a lack of transport access. A former fisherman, Ramakrishnan, lives in Four Cent Colony in Kunniyoramala near Koyilandy taluk, Kozhikode district, where residents face persistent transport issues, exacerbated by the 'encroaching' construction of National Highway (NH) 66. On May 8, the residents launched a protest demanding the restoration of transport services and raising objections to the land acquisition process. The protest was temporarily suspended after Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil, the project director, and National Highways Authority officials met them during a meeting held on May 28 and assured that their concerns would be addressed within 20 days. 'We will decide our next step once a decision is made,' said Shajith O.P., convener of the Kunniyoramala Samyuktha Samara Samiti. 'We are not against development, but compromising basic transport facilities and safety cannot be considered progress,' he added. Mr. Shajith pointed out that Kunniyoramala has remained cut off since the hill was split during NH 66 construction, leaving residents without access to emergency transport. Concerns over landslides are also growing, with new cracks appearing on the hill and supporting cement walls weakening. Many displaced residents have returned to their houses in high-risk zones after the government reportedly failed to provide the promised rental support. 'How can daily wage workers afford months of rent?' asked K.P. Sunil Kumar a resident. 'We wouldn't be living in fear if land acquisition had been completed,' he added. Residents said they have raised these concerns repeatedly over the last three years but have received little response from authorities. They were particularly disheartened by District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh's remarks during a recent visit, where he reportedly told them to wait through another monsoon and said land acquisition would take place only in the event of a landslide. 'What guarantee do we have that a landslide won't happen next monsoon?' residents asked, recalling the previous year's landslide, which forced them into relief camps. This time, however, residents are hopeful as the issue surrounding the NH construction has gained more visibility. While no date has been fixed for a follow-up meeting, residents hope for a timely and lasting solution.
New Indian Express
06-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Prof K V Thomas rebuts allegations of corruption in NH66 project, defends PAC process
KOCHI: Kerala's special representative in New Delhi and former Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman, Prof K V Thomas, has strongly countered the allegations made by Congress leader and current PAC chairman K C Venugopal regarding irregularities in the awarding of sub-contracts for the NH66 development. Thomas said such accusations risk undermining the credibility of a major national infrastructure project. Prof Thomas, a veteran parliamentarian who once headed the PAC, said that if someone were to claim the committee was delaying or obstructing the dream project of national highway development in Kerala, 'they cannot be entirely blamed.' However, he clarified that the PAC chairperson does not wield unilateral authority. 'The PAC submits its decisions unanimously and only with the Speaker's consent to Parliament. It is Parliament that decides the course of action, based on the CAG's recommendations that the committee deliberated upon,' he said, in a statement here. Distinguishing the current scenario from previous instances, Prof Thomas said, 'During my tenure as PAC chairman, I made a statement about summoning the Prime Minister in the context of demonetisation and GST implementation, both of which were done without prior Parliamentary knowledge. But even then, we could not proceed without the committee's consensus and the Speaker's permission. Eventually, we summoned the RBI Governor instead, and the report was submitted to Parliament accordingly.'
New Indian Express
05-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Rs 6,700 crore boost for road development in Kerala
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Union government has approved road development projects worth Rs 6,700 crore submitted by Kerala, following a meeting between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Wednesday. The clearance covers 14 projects proposed by the state. Gadkari also assured that the 380-m-long stretch in the Malappuram-Kooriyad section that got damaged during NH 66 construction will be rebuilt as a viaduct at the contractor's expense. Public Works Minister P A Mohamed Riyas, who was part of the CM-led delegation, said the independent engineer, contractor and design consultant involved with the project have been removed and the NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) project director suspended. The meeting also reviewed the progress of NH works under way in Kerala. 'Recognising minor delays in some stretches, the Union minister suggested corrective steps. All highway construction will be completed by December 2025,' Riyas said. He also confirmed that the state will receive `151 crore under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) scheme this week. Riyas said the Centre would give final approval for the Thiruvananthapuram Outer Ring Road and the Palakkad-Kozhikode Greenfield Highway, likely by the end of July. Several projects that were pending for over eight years have now received clearance. The Ernakulam Bypass project has received in-principle approval, and the remaining formalities are expected to be completed within five months. Of the seven NHs currently under development through the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways fund, five have received approval, while nod for the other two is expected within two months.
