Toll at Nattika before completion of NH 66 work sparks protests

The National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) decision to begin toll collection at the Nattika plaza on NH 66 from Thursday, even as several major structures, service roads and safety facilities remain incomplete, has triggered strong protests in the region.

The CPI, CPI(M), Congress and various local organisations took out separate protest marches to the toll plaza on Wednesday, demanding that toll collection be deferred until the highway and its associated infrastructure are fully completed.

The protesters alleged that the NHAI was rushing to impose the toll even though the construction agency had indicated that the project, originally scheduled for completion in 36 months, would require another 10 months to finish.

“People are being asked to pay for a highway that is still a work in progress,” the protesters said, pointing to the slow pace of construction at several locations.

The Vadannappally flyover, Chetuva bridge and Edamuttam underpass are among the major works yet to be completed. Construction of pedestrian overbridges at Nattika, Valappad High School, Engandiyur and Pokkulangara has not even begun, they said.

Drainage systems, safety measures and street lighting are also incomplete at several locations. Adequate arrangements for residents to access the highway and exit from it have not been put in place, adding to concerns over safety and inconvenience.

The Thrissur section of NH 66 is being constructed in two reaches — the 33-km Kapprikkad-Thalikulam stretch and the 28-km Thalikulam-Kodungallur stretch.

At Vadannappally, work on the flyover pillars has only begun and could take at least another year to complete, according to local residents. They fear that the incomplete works will continue to delay the project even as motorists are made to pay toll.

CPI district secretary K.G. Sivanandan, who inaugurated the party’s protest march organised by its Nattika mandalam committee, demanded that the District Collector intervene and stop the toll collection.

“The NHAI has introduced toll collection without adequate consultation with the State government, officials or elected representatives. Construction is still incomplete and the work has been crawling along for the past four months,” he said. The CPI warned of intensified protests if the toll collection continued.

CPI(M) leaders alleged that the pace of construction had slowed considerably over the past four months and that starting toll collection in such circumstances went against the NHAI’s earlier commitments.

The Congress also organised a protest march to the toll plaza, joining the opposition to toll collection before the highway and its supporting infrastructure are fully ready.

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