The state government has given sanction to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to dredge ordinary earth from 11 water bodies in the state for the development and construction of various stretches of National Highways. Earlier, the government had approved dredging in Ashtamudi and Vembanad lake to source spoils for highway construction works.

The works for which ordinary earth from dredging water bodies will be used include six laning of Azhiyur to Vengalam in Kozhikode, six laning of Kappirikkad to Thalikulam of NH-66, six laning of Thalikulam to Kodungallur of NH-66, six laning of Thuravoor Thekku to Paravoor of NH-66 in Kochi, six laning of Paravoor to Kottukulangara section of NH-66, six laning of Kottukulangara to Kollam bypass in Kollam, six laning of start of Kollam bypass to Kadambattukonam in Thiruvananthapuram and Vaduthala bund ( for Vallarpadam Railway overbridge) in Kochi.

Dredging will be carried out in Chettuva river, Kottapuram river, Chombala harbour, Vembanad lake, Andhakaranazhi, Pamba river from Thottappally to Veeyapuram, Kayamkulam sea mouth and Valiyazheekal to Pathiyankara, Kallada irrigation canals, Ashtamudi lake, Thanni Pozhikkara and TS canal, Varkala.

The expected quantity of dredged material from these water bodies is 3116148 cu.m. The Regional Officer, NHAI, Thiruvananthapuram has communicated to the state government that one of the required items for road construction is red earth, which is primarily meant for the development of alignment bases, levelling and filling, etc., for redeveloping the stretches of National Highway. The paucity of available land in the vicinity of Highway alignments, higher costs, and public resistance in certain locations for obtaining red earth are causing delays in the completion of NH stretches, it was pointed out.

NHAI had sought the government's intervention to dredge water bodies to appropriate ordinary earth material and to use the dredged materials already available on selected sites free of cost to substitute red earth, which would assist the timely completion of NH 66 redevelopment.