Kochi Mudslide On NH85 Triggers Probe Into NHAI Construction Negligence
The recent mudslide along the Kochi–Dhanushkodi National Highway, which claimed a life and razed eight houses near Adimali, has reignited concerns over reckless infrastructure practices and the ecological fragility of Kerala’s Western Ghats. Experts have attributed the disaster to unscientific slope-cutting methods adopted during the highway’s expansion, calling for accountability from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) contractors and urgent adoption of sustainable engineering measures.
The state government has ordered an immediate halt to all construction along the affected stretch of NH 85 pending a detailed investigation. Preliminary findings indicate that vertical hill-cutting, rather than the recommended bench-cutting technique, has critically destabilised the region’s slopes. Experts from the state geology department have emphasised that the soil in the area, barely 15,000 years old, is loosely compacted and rests on much older bedrock. Removing its natural support, they say, has led to loss of equilibrium and heightened landslip risks, especially during Kerala’s torrential monsoon.
Geological experts warn that contractors have been prioritising rapid completion over environmental safety. Instead of terraced excavation, they have engaged in steep vertical cutting sometimes reaching 20 metres and applying superficial layers of shotcrete as a late-stage solution. This quick-fix approach, they caution, fails to prevent rainwater seepage, which adds hydrostatic pressure, further weakening already fragile slopes.In the aftermath of the mudslide, residents of Laksham Veedu Colony in Idukki accused the contractors of ignoring repeated warnings. Locals claim that visible cracks had appeared weeks before the incident, but their concerns were dismissed. District officials have since confirmed prior signs of soil movement, indicating that the hazard could have been prevented with timely slope stabilisation.
Environmentalists argue that the incident underscores a wider pattern of negligence across hill districts, where large-scale infrastructure projects often disregard terrain sensitivity. They urge the government to adopt mandatory geotechnical audits and enforce stricter penalties for non-compliance. Experts also highlight the need to integrate rainwater harvesting and vegetative slope protection in highway designs to minimise run-off erosion.
Officials from the public works and water resources departments have assured that a comprehensive technical audit will be conducted and corrective measures initiated. While the suspension of construction has disrupted regional mobility, experts believe it is a necessary pause to reassess Kerala’s infrastructure approach in ecologically volatile zones.The mudslide, beyond its immediate human toll, serves as a cautionary tale for sustainable development in fragile ecosystems. It reiterates the urgent need for balancing infrastructure growth with geological prudence a principle Kerala can no longer afford to overlook.
