With local body elections drawing near, the halted road widening project along the Neryamangalam-Valara section of the vital Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway has become a significant political flashpoint in Kerala’s Idukki district. The Congress party is intensifying its protests, accusing the State government of neglecting the region’s infrastructure needs.
On Tuesday, the Congress Adimaly Mandalam committee organized a strong blockade of the National Highway at Irumpupalam, near Adimaly, forcefully demanding that the road widening work be restarted immediately. This follows a similar action on Monday, when Youth Congress members marched to Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine’s office in Cheruthoni, also in Idukki, to pressure for the project’s resumption.
Idukki MP Dean Kuriakose inaugurated the latest protest, leveling serious accusations against the State government. He claimed they were “cheating the poor in Idukki” by failing to submit a crucial affidavit to the court. This affidavit, he stated, should clarify that the Forest Department has no legal claim over the 14-kilometer stretch of highway. Mr. Kuriakose urged the government to file this new affidavit before the High Court’s next hearing on October 7.
The peaceful blockade escalated into a confrontation when police intervened to disperse the Congress activists. Meanwhile, a local advocacy group, the National Highway Protection Council, is also mobilizing action.
The Council’s General Convenor, Rasak Chooravelil, announced a meeting in Adimaly on October 2 to strategize future protests. He revealed plans for a 48-hour Idukki district-wide ‘hartal’ (strike), which would specifically target and prevent the movement of all Forest Department vehicles on the Valara-Neryamangalam stretch. This widespread protest aims to pressure the government, with Mr. Chooravelil emphasizing, “We hope the government will submit a new affidavit in court before October 7. If the government fails, the council will intensify its protests.”
Chooravelil highlighted the dire condition of the road, noting, “The construction works have effectively blocked a 14-km stretch, leaving it in a deplorable state of disrepair.” He also underscored the highway’s importance, stating, “Thousands of tourists rely on this road to travel between the popular Munnar hill station and Ernakulam, making its current condition a major impediment to local tourism and connectivity.”