The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has taken strict action following reports of distressed pavement conditions on parts of the six-lane Sanchore–Santalpur section of the Amritsar–Jamnagar Economic Corridor (NH-754K) in Gujarat. 

The affected segment lies within Package-4 (Kilana to Santalpur) and is being constructed by M/s CDS Infra Projects Limited. The damage spans 1.35 km on the left-hand side (LHS) across 10 patches and 1.36 km on the right-hand side (RHS) over 5 patches of the total 130 km corridor in Gujarat. 

 Causes of failure and current status 

The failure of the pavement crust has been attributed to defects in the Aggregate Inter Layer (AIL), Cement Treated Base (CTB) and inadequate drainage. The project is being executed in Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode and the completion certificate has not yet been issued. 

 The contractor, M/s CDS Infra Projects Limited, has been debarred with immediate effect from participating in ongoing and future tenders. A show cause notice has been issued for debarment, along with a monetary penalty of Rs 2.8 crore. The contractor is now undertaking rectification work at their own risk and cost. 

The Authority’s Engineer, M/s SA Infra (in association with M/s Upham), has also been debarred from current and future bids, and issued a show cause notice. In addition, the NHAI Project Director in Palanpur has been placed under suspension. 

To investigate the matter, NHAI has constituted expert committees comprising retired and serving professors from IIT-BHU, IIT-Delhi, and IIT-Gandhinagar. These committees are conducting site inspections, collecting samples, and will recommend remedial measures based on detailed testing and analysis. 

The authority has reiterated its commitment to maintaining construction quality and holding all stakeholders accountable for lapses.