PWD decides to tighten safety measures at construction sites in Keralam

The Keralam Public Works department (PWD) has decided to enforce strict measures to ensure public safety at sites where construction work is being carried out.

The decision was taken in the wake of an incident in Alappuzha in which a 66-year-old cyclist died after falling into a pit dug as part of an under-construction project.

It was the mandatory responsibility of the officials and contractors concerned to ensure public safety at construction sites. Necessary barricades, warning boards, and clearly visible safety systems, particularly at night, must be put in place wherever pits were dug, Works Minister P.K. Basheer said in a statement on Wednesday (September 2, 2026).

Stating that no negligence of any kind would be tolerated in this regard, the Minister said that no development work was more important than the safety of human life. In the wake of the incident, urgent instructions had been issued to the officials concerned to ensure that safety standards were strictly followed at road-construction sites across the State. Officials had also been directed to inspect and ensure the adequacy of safety measures at all major road works currently under way, the Minister said.

The department would also examine whether there was any lapse in providing adequate safety measures in the Alappuzha incident. If any lapse was found, strict action would be taken against those responsible. No one, whether a contractor or an official, would be exempted from responsibility, the Minister said.

The State government’s position was to give the utmost importance to public safety while ensuring the speedy completion of development works. “Construction in progress” should never become a reason for endangering people’s lives, he said.

Steps would also be taken to further strengthen the existing safety measures to prevent such tragic incidents from recurring. Clear instructions would be issued to officials and contractors regarding safety standards at roadwork sites, and strict compliance would be ensured. “Development is for the people. Therefore, the government will ensure that the lives and safety of the people are protected at every stage of development,” Mr. Basheer said.