Overview

• In its May 29 submission, NHAI identified poor and waterlogged loamy soil as a primary factor in the failure of a newly built 200-metre stretch near Kooriyad in Malappuram district
• The agency conceded lapses in embankment construction on multiple NH66 sections and pointed to the concessionaire’s failure to assess and strengthen ground-bearing capacity
• Court lawyers pressed NHAI on why seasoned highway experts did not foresee risks associated with using saturated loamy soil
• Following the May 19 collapse, the Centre blacklisted involved contractors, debarred firms and suspended NHAI officials while ordering systemwide safety audits
• Environmentalists and local leaders have called for bridge-based solutions over waterlogged paddy fields as fresh cracks appear ahead of the monsoon season