Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a stay on the Wayanad tunnel road project. With this, the state government can proceed with the construction of the road, which aims to significantly reduce travel time between Kozhikode and Wayanad districts.

The PIL was filed by the Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshna Samithi (WPSS), a local environmental group, alleging that the implementation of the tunnel project would adversely affect the district’s ecosystem. The state government is required to acquire 33 hectares of land for the construction of the twin tunnels.

The tunnel, stretching 8.75 kilometres between Anakkampoyil in Kozhikode district and Meppadi in Wayanad, is expected to improve regional connectivity and promote tourism.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the project on August 31 at a function held at St Mary’s School ground in Anakkampoyil.

Once completed, the project will be Kerala’s longest and India’s third-longest twin-tube tunnel road. The Konkan Railway Corporation is the project’s implementing agency, while KITCO Limited is the project proponent.

The WPSS alleged that the proposed tunnel road, connecting Anakkampoyil in Kozhikode to Kalladi in Meppadi, Wayanad, passes through Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZs) and that crucial environmental details were suppressed to obtain statutory clearances. The petition cited a 2009 report by the Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS) on landslide-prone areas and questioned the legality of the environmental clearance granted by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA).

WPSS alleged the alignment passes through ESZ-designated villages such as Thiruvambadi in Kozhikode district and Vellarimala in Wayanad.

The tunnel, which is viewed as a solution to chronic traffic congestion along the Thamarassery Ghat stretch of National Highway 766, is projected to be 8.17 km long, with approach roads on both sides. The total estimated cost of the project is ₹2,134 crore.