Kendrapada: Around 100 metres of an under-construction stretch of National Highway-53 near Nilachal Bazaar in Mahakalapada, under Marshaghai police limits in Odisha’s Kendrapada district, caved in on Sunday amid prolonged heavy rainfall, causing three trucks to lose balance and plunge into a roadside ditch.
The affected section forms part of the ongoing rebuilding and widening project on the key corridor linking Paradip Port with mineral-rich areas in Jajpur.
Videos of the damaged highway quickly circulated on social media, prompting sharp questions from residents about the quality of the expansion work being carried out by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Locals alleged that weeks of incessant rain had exposed substandard construction, claiming rainwater had seeped through the surface, washed away supporting soil beneath a fly-ash layer, and caused the collapse. Some said soil excavated from the sides of the old four-lane road had been mixed with fly ash without adequate lateral support, leaving only a thin layer of gravel and tar over the fill.
Residents demanded a thorough probe, accountability from officials, and compensation for the truck owners.
One local, Rabindra Kumar Nayak, described the work as “completely substandard” and held the NHAI Project Director responsible for approving it, warning of protests if no investigation followed. A retired engineer from Kendrapada, Biswanath Behera, went further, asserting the episode revealed widespread corruption and inefficiency, with contractors allegedly colluding with officials to profit from inferior work.
NHAI regional officer Virendra Singh countered that the three trucks had been illegally parked on the incomplete stretch, which was barricaded and closed to the public. He said authorities had repeatedly warned against any use of the construction site, yet the drivers ignored the restrictions. Continuous rain and rising water levels in the nearby Mahanadi River led to prolonged stagnation, inundation and slope erosion that triggered the cave-in.
An official NHAI statement noted the stretch remained unfinished pending realignment of a major bridge and construction of an underpass at Nilachal Bazaar; heavy vehicles had removed the barricades before parking there.
Singh confirmed no one was hurt and said the damaged section would be repaired soon, with remedial works already under way on a priority basis.
Landslides block traffic in Kendujhar
Heavy monsoon rains also disrupted traffic on National Highway-49 near Kendujhar as landslides at Kanjipani and Judia ghats blocked sections of the route for extended periods. Debris at Kanjipani fully closed one side for about 15 hours until clearance allowed traffic to resume around 8 pm on Sunday.
At Judia ghat, large rocks fell at multiple locations, keeping one side closed for more than 30 hours. The NHAI deployed machinery including earthmovers, trucks and a crane under the supervision of project director Karthik Reddy. Single-lane diversions led to congestion, prompting officials to advise against unnecessary travel.
