The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) will conduct a Mining and Geology department-level inspection on the rockfall that occurred on the Valanjanganam stretch of the Kottarakkara-Dindigul National Highway near Kuttikkanam in Idukki.
On Sunday a 67-year-old woman was killed, and five others, including an eight-month-old infant, were injured as boulders and soil rolled down a hill and crushed a parked car at Valanjanganam, near Kuttikkanam around 6.30 p.m.
NHAI assistant executive engineer Sura A. K. said that the NHAI officials inspected the rock fall that occurred on the spot on Monday. “ The NHAI executive engineer-led team will inspect the spot soon. After the inspection, a letter will be submitted to the District Collector,” he said.
“Only a geological inspection can find the actual reason for the rockfall. After the inspection the NHAI will take further steps,” said the official.
“ The accident occurred in an area situated in a round shape and the road is passing through the hill. Widening works are not possible on this stretch,” said the official.
According to officials, the NHAI earlier conducted a geological inspection at Murinjapuzha near Valanjanganam on the stretch to remove rocks for road widening. But the geology department recommended that such works would result in serial landslips in the area, and NHAI canceled the road widening works in the area.
Environmentalist M. N .Jayachandran said that road widening works without proper environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies would result in rockfalls and landslips.
“ The Gap road stretch of Kochi -Dhanuskodi National Highway in Munnar also witnessed such landslips. NHAI officials should conduct an EIA in the Kuttikkanam-Mundakayam stretch to avoid landslips and rockfalls,” said Mr Jayachandran.
In October 2021, a flash flood occurred at Pullupara near Kuttikkanam on the stretch. A Kerala State Road Transport Corporation conductor, Jaison Joseph, led a team that rescued a three-member Gujarati family after they got swept away in the flash flood.
