Malappuram: The collapse of National Highway-66 at Kooriyad has triggered protests among local residents, who claim they had repeatedly warned officials about serious technical flaws in the construction through a low-lying paddy field. Residents have reiterated their longstanding demand to replace the current earthfill construction through the waterlogged paddy region with a raised bridge structure.

“The geography of this area simply cannot bear the weight of a road built by raising the ground level. A bridge is the only viable solution,” said M Arifa, a local ward member.

She also alleged that the construction company, KNRCL, had blocked a natural stream flowing through the region during construction, worsening drainage issues and compromising structural integrity.

An expert team is set to visit the collapsed six-lane National Highway 66 site at Kooriyad in Malappuram on Wednesday, as concerns mount over the quality and safety of the construction. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has assured the public that a solution will be identified following a thorough assessment.

A high-level meeting was convened at the Malappuram Collectorate on Tuesday morning, chaired by District Collector VR Vinod. Officials from the NHAI and local elected representatives were in attendance. Project Director Anshul Sharma confirmed that an independent three-member expert committee had been constituted to investigate the incident.

“The committee will submit a detailed report on the causes behind the collapse. Based on initial observations, we believe the incident was caused by shifting soil in the paddy field,” Sharma stated.

Cracks have reportedly appeared in another section of the highway at Thalappara, near Calicut University, adding to growing concerns over the safety of infrastructure along the Kozhikode-Thrissur corridor.

Advocate KS Mohammed Danish, who has filed a formal complaint on behalf of a nearby school and the local Congress unit, accused KNRCL of threatening the Advocate Commission appointed by the High Court.

“There are major design faults in the overpass and the service road. The road is too narrow to handle two-way traffic. When the Commission pointed this out, the company ridiculed them and flippantly suggested contacting the police to manage traffic. Their attitude has been consistently dismissive,” Danish said.

Public frustration is reaching a tipping point, with residents warning of a large-scale protest if authorities fail to act decisively.

“Despite multiple warnings and signs of structural weakness, the construction company refused to change course. Now the public is bearing the consequences,” said KPA Majeed, MLA.

Member of Parliament ET Muhammed Basheer has urged immediate intervention from higher authorities to ensure commuter safety and address public grievances. Meanwhile, the CPM district committee has called for a full-scale investigation. Party district secretary VP Anil demanded that the NHAI conduct a comprehensive technical audit to determine whether negligence or design flaws were responsible for the collapse.