Sulthan Bathery: Environmentalist N Badusha approached the police seeking protection for his family and property from mafia elements, after he moved the Supreme Court seeking a stay order on the construction of the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi twin tunnel road project.

Badusha, the president of Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithy, was threatened with dire consequences over the move to halt the project connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad districts.

He had also sought the apex court's intervention to revoke the environmental clearance accorded to the project by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).  

Soon after the news surfaced on social media, a section of social media started hurling abuses at the veteran environmentalist and even harassed him personally. A group of protesters, who claimed to be pro development volunteers from Meppadi, took a protest march to his home on Monday. As the protestors had widely publicised the march, a large group of environmentalists also gathered at his home and premises at Naiketty near here, to ensure his protection.

However, a large posse of police stationed near his home blocked the protestors, who had to disperse after police warned them of legal measures. In his complaint submitted to Sulthan Bathery DySP on Wednesday, Badusha demanded strict action against those who abused and threatened him, and sought protection for his family.

Let them protest, but fight to conserve nature would be on
Badusha told Onmanorama that he is not worried about his life in his efforts to conserve nature and protect fellow beings from natural calamities such as the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide. "If we allow such mafia elements to go unbridled, much graver calamities would rock the Western Ghats, which are very sensitive," he said. "I hope the Supreme Court takes a proactive role to protect nature and the agrarian community," he added.

Badusha said the protests against him are quite normal, as many are enraged by the move since the mining lobby aims to unearth thousands of crores worth of granite during the tunnel-drilling process. He claims that this process is unaccounted for and that mediators who manipulate it in favour of the lobby may be given a share of the profits.

However, Badusha also expressed his gratitude to the people of Wayanad, including the politicians who expressed solidarity with him and assured him of all support, though a few of them are ideologically opposed to him on the twin tunnel issue. 

A prestigious project of the LDF government
The first blast of the twin tunnel project was carried out by Chief Minister Pinrayi Vijayan at Marippuzha near Anakkampoyil in Kozhikode district on March 6.  The project claims to be a panacea for the recurring traffic congestion along the Thamarassery Ghat stretch of National Highway 766 (NH 766), which connects Wayanad with the rest of the state.

The estimated total cost for the 8.17-km-long twin tunnel road project is ₹2,134 crore, including the construction of approach roads on both sides.

The tendering process for the project has been completed, with Hyderabad-based Dileep Buildcon Limited securing the contract for ₹1,643.33 crore. An approach road from Thiruvambady to Marippuzha (17.5 km) has already been constructed at a cost of ₹108 crore.