Environmentalists challenge Wayanad twin tunnel project, HC issues notice to state, center
Konkan Railway Corporation is the project's implementing agency, while KITCO Limited is the project proponent. The WPSS alleges that the planned tunnel road, connecting Anakkampoyil in Kozhikode to Kalladi in Meppadi, Wayanad, passes through Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ) and that critical environmental facts were suppressed to obtain clearance.
Wayanad: The twin-tunnel project that connects Kozhikode and Wayanad district and thus enabling to reduce the distance between the hilly districts by nearly 8 kilometres are facing stiff opposition from activists and locals. The Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi (WPSS), a key environmental group in the district, has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Kerala High Court seeking a stay on the proposed Wayanad–Kozhikode twin tunnel road project. The court, led by Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji, issued notices to eight respondents and directed the state government to file a counter-affidavit. The matter has been posted for further hearing on September 9.
The route, according to WPSS, cuts through ESZ-designated villages such as Thiruvambadi in Kozhikode and Vellarimala in Wayanad. Advocate M P Prakash represented the petitioner.
"This tunnel is set to be an environmental disaster. The entire path through which the tunnel passes is a vulnerable ecologically sensitive area. The state government will be directly responsible if a tragedy happens in future”, said Badushah, chief coordinator of WPSS.
The tunnel, seen as a solution to the traffic congestion along the Thamarassery Ghat section of National Highway 766, is projected to be 8.17 km long with approach roads on both ends. The total estimated cost is ₹2,134 crore. Dileep Buildcon Limited, a Hyderabad-based company, secured the project bid for ₹1,643.33 crore, following the completion of tendering procedures. An approach road from Thiruvambadi to Marippuzha (17.5 km) has already been constructed at a cost of ₹108 crore. The petition, filed on July 26, names the Union Ministry of Forests, Environment and Climate Change, the State of Kerala, its Principal Secretary, the State-Level Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), the State-Level Expert Appraisal Committee, KITCO Limited, and Konkan Railway Corporation as respondents.
Konkan Railway Corporation is the project’s implementing agency, while KITCO Limited is the project proponent. The WPSS alleges that the planned tunnel road, connecting Anakkampoyil in Kozhikode to Kalladi in Meppadi, Wayanad, passes through Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ) and that critical environmental facts were suppressed to obtain clearance. The petition cites a 2009 report by the Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS) on landslide-prone areas and questions the legality of the environmental clearance issued by the SEIAA. .