Thiruvananthapuram: Putting human lives at stake, tipper lorries loaded with huge stones and other materials for the Vizhinjam Port construction, are running dangerously, flouting all laws. While middlemen, including contractors and politicians, are amassing money under the guise of port construction, ordinary people suffer the brunt of it. With an unofficial order by a senior officer to refrain from stopping vehicles bound for Vizhinjam, inspection of these tipper lorries have ceased altogether.

Around 600 tipper lorries are running exclusively for the Vizhinjam Port construction on a daily basis. The raw materials for the construction are mainly brought from Tirunelveli and Ambasamudram areas in Tamil Nadu and quarries in Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts. 

The companies that bagged the contract to provide construction materials for the project, give subcontract to other companies which in turn further provide subcontract to others, who are mainly local politicians and benamis. Hence the companies with the main contract would not know the owners or drivers of the tipper lorries. Also, most of these vehicles are hired from Tamil Nadu.

It is the middlemen with political influence who are intervening in case of accidents or any other issues involving these vehicles. They also enjoy the support of officials in taking the vehicles away from accident spots.  Action would be taken against those police officers and Motor Vehicle Department officials who stop the tippers for overloading or overspeeding. MLA A Vincent has alleged that two officials were sent to the City Police Commissioner’s Office to attain ‘good conduct’. 

The tipper owners will get only half of the amount received by the main company for the same. In order to compensate for this loss, they overload the vehicles with double the quantity permitted by the law.  Money is allotted in accordance with the load, which is beneficial for the contractors. In order to get more trips, the drivers overspeed their tippers. They also do not cover the vehicle to prevent the load from falling down.

The Adani Port Compnay, meanwhile, stated that it has sought explanation from the Tamil Nadu-based company whose tipper had caused the death of Anandu. 

Meanwhile, guidelines were issued for the tipper lorries jointly by the district administration and the police department.