Heavy freight carriers, including hazardous fuel tankers, are regularly parking beneath a highly unstable 50-foot-tall hill on the national highway bypass at Moorad near Vadakara. The hill, which has visible deep fractures, is at risk of immediate collapse, turning what drivers assume is a safe resting spot into a potential death trap.

Unsuspecting drivers in the danger zone
Long-haul drivers arriving from other states, unaware of the geographical hazard, routinely park their massive vehicles here during daytime transit restrictions. Since traffic on the Moorad-Palolipalam bypass is already diverted, these parked lorries sit directly under the cracked cliff face, exposing drivers and valuable cargo to immense risk.

Failed soil reinforcement
The crisis began two years ago when the soil-nailing reinforcement—installed to prevent landslides on this steep cutting—collapsed shortly after the Moorad-Palolipalam stretch was opened to traffic. In response, authorities restricted traffic on this three-lane section heading towards Kozhikode to a single lane, cordoning off the hazardous area with concrete barricades and installing solar-powered warning lights. However, this has not deterred truck drivers looking for a place to rest.

Local residents live in fear
The danger is not confined to the road below. Families living in homes situated atop this fractured cliff are facing an agonising wait, fearing their properties could crumble at any moment. While highway authorities had promised to build a robust retaining wall to stabilise the slope, construction has been slow, with only a small portion completed so far, leaving the rest of the vulnerable hill exposed to weather elements and further erosion.