PONDA: The monsoon has exposed the substandard work in the construction of the new four-lane highway at Kerya Khandepar. 

A part of the four-lane road has developed cracks and ruptures just opposite the place where a landslide occurred last year at Kerya. 

The locals are worried that the highway might collapse as it is constructed by filling a deep valley. The height of elevated road is almost 14 metres.

The elevated road is close to a settlement whose residents opposed construction of the highway by filling the deep valley. They demanded a flyover in place of the elevated road.

The locals claimed that the new service road too has developed cracks and depression. 

Sandeep Parkar, a local, said, “We will demand vigilance inquiry into the matter. The service road has been hot-mixed on mud without rubble soling and now the Contractor is trying to hide fault by covering the cracks with cement and concrete.”

Locals also expressed fear that since the elevated road is not constructed with drainage, rain water gushing from the hills would seep into the earth reinforced concrete leading to its collapse.