Contractors working on the newly opened Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway have drawn widespread ridicule after using industrial blowers and pedestal fans to dry damaged sections of the road.

The ₹4,200-crore expressway, inaugurated on July 13, has come under scrutiny after cracks, sinkholes and subsidence were reported at several locations just weeks after its opening.

Fans deployed after road slippage

Footage showing blowers and domestic fans lined up along the highway spread rapidly on social media.

The equipment was reportedly brought in to dry bitumen and remove rainwater after a section of the road suffered a "slippage", causing a truck to sink into the pavement.

The unusual repair method left motorists and social media users baffled. Some users joked that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had become a "user of Only Fans", while others sarcastically described it as "dhamakedar technology".

One user simply asked: "Kaun hai engineer?"

Amid the relentless trolling and political flak, the fans and blowers were finally taken down after operating for over 24 hours .

84 locations affected by subsidence

The social media backlash has added to growing scrutiny of the expressway's condition.

Subsidence has reportedly been detected at 84 locations along the corridor. Of these, 45 are on the Kanpur-bound carriageway and 39 are towards Lucknow.

The damage has also disrupted traffic, with vehicles being diverted onto a single lane in affected stretches. The diversions have resulted in significant traffic congestion.

High-profile inauguration under scrutiny

The condition of the road has attracted particular attention because of the high-profile inauguration ceremony held on July 13.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attended the event.

During the ceremony, Gadkari had said the state's roads would soon be "like those in America".

The emergence of road damage soon after the inauguration has now placed the project and its contractors under intense scrutiny.

NHAI cracks down on contractor

Amid public criticism and political pressure from opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav, the NHAI has taken action against the project's concessionaire, PNC Infratech.

Several project officials have been debarred for two years, while the company faces the possibility of being declared a "non-performer".

PNC Infratech general manager Anguluri Satyanarayan defended the use of fans, saying they were being used to remove "surface moisture" during the monsoon.

Toll collection suspended

The NHAI has also suspended toll collection on the expressway until the damaged sections are properly restored.

Officials have directed the contractor to carry out the repairs at its own cost and complete the work by Friday morning.