Alappuzha: The construction work on the Aroor-Thuravoor elevated highway came to a temporary halt after a fight broke out between a motorist and an engineer on Saturday evening. The incident occurred in front of Chandiroor Higher Secondary School. The portion of the national highway had turned slippery after the rains, causing many bikers to fall and sustain injuries.

"Post noon, several bike riders had slipped and fallen on this stretch. Tensions were a little high over this. Towards the evening, when a biker fell after losing his balance, he got up and took up the issue with the site engineer who was present on the spot,” said JR Ajith Kumar, president of Janakiya Samithi, a group formed to protest against the poor road conditions in the area.

Reports on what happened next vary. While some say nothing happened beyond an angry shove, others claim the motorist hit the engineer out of malice. Local residentss gathered around the area and engaged in a verbal altercation with the company staff present there.

“When word spread that one of their engineers had been attacked and that local people had gathered against them, workers on the 12 km stretch from Thuravoor to Aroor arrived and staged a protest. They said that work would be halted until justice was served,” said Ajith Kumar.

The local people, on the other hand, allege that the dangerous situation prevailing in the stretch is the construction company’s fault. Repeated accidents have been happening in this stretch for the past few days, and they blame the dangerous manner in which the company has been carrying out their work.

“The construction company uses a kind of chemical during the boring process. This chemical gets spilled onto the road, causing it to be slippery. Numerous motorists have slipped and fallen in this spot, sustaining injuries,” says Suneesh Payikkadan, Kuthiyathode grama panchayat member and secretary of the Janakiya Samithi.

The police arrived on the spot and ensured prompt action against the culprit, who had by then disappeared from the scene. Upon assurance from the police, the company workers ended their protest and resumed their work. A case has also been registered against the company for causing dangerous traffic conditions based on the complaints from the victims of the road accidents.

The identity of the motorist is not known at this time. The incident is the latest in a series of ongoing disputes between the local people and the construction company over the deplorable road conditions on the Aroor-Thuravoor stretch. However, this may be the first time that an actual act of violence has occurred between them.

In protest against the deplorable traffic conditions in this stretch, the Janakiya Samithi is set to form a human chain on Tuesday, July 30, between 4 pm and 5 pm. Party workers across political affiliations, residential associations, and various union members are expected to take part.