PWD blames Thodupuzha municipality for roadside pit accident death

Just a day after a 27-year-old man lost his life after falling into a roadside pit at Muthalakkodam in Idukki—an incident that sparked public outrage against the Public Works Department (PWD)—an internal report has shifted the blame to the Thodupuzha municipality.

On Sunday night at 10.45 p.m., Joys Benny, a resident of Muthalakkodam, was traveling toward Thodupuzha when he reportedly lost control of his vehicle near a construction site. He fell into a deep pit beside a culvert and sustained fatal injuries.

Following widespread protests, Public Works Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas sought an urgent report from officials. The report, submitted by the PWD Assistant Executive Engineer (Roads) to the Executive Engineer, stated that the department is not responsible for the incident.

According to the PWD, the drainage slabs were removed last year by the Thodupuzha municipality using earth movers to prevent waterlogging. The report alleges that the earth-moving work damaged the culvert and led to the formation of the pit.

“The damage did not occur during any PWD construction activity. Upon noticing the issue, the PWD repeatedly emailed the municipality, urging it to replace the slabs and eliminate the danger to commuters, but the authorities failed to act,” the report said.

While the municipality maintains that the PWD is responsible for maintaining the culvert, the department has since installed barricades at the Mavinchuvad site to prevent further casualties. Amid the escalating controversy, the PWD has now begun work to cover the pit and complete the culvert construction.