Wayanad landslip: Expert panel visits site, to submit report within one week

Wayanad: Kalpetta: The expert panel appointed by the state government on Wednesday inspected the landslip-hit Meenakshi Bridge area near the tunnel mouth of the Kozhikode-Wayanad twin-tunnel road project at Kalladi near Meppadi. The panel is expected to submit its report to the government within a week.

The panel comprises Dr Santhosh G Thampi of the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kozhikode, and Dr Sreelesh R, scientist at the National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS).

The experts said there was no immediate urgency to remove the accumulated soil and debris, as much of the unstable mass that posed a threat had already come down during the mudslide. The team inspected the mudslide-hit area, the tunnel construction site and the heaps of soil and boulders accumulated near the tunnel mouth.

"We have conducted a preliminary assessment of the safe removal of the soil and boulders accumulated near the tunnel mouth," said Dr Santhosh. He added that the prevailing weather conditions were favourable for transporting the soil.

He said the topographical maps and other details of the area would be examined thoroughly before further decisions are taken. A decision on where the accumulated soil should be shifted will be made after the preliminary assessment is completed.

A drone survey will also be carried out to obtain a detailed aerial view of the terrain and assess the affected area in greater detail.

Revenue Department and Disaster Management Authority Special Secretary K Jeevan Babu also visited the site. The expert team held discussions with officials of various departments, including the Geology and Revenue departments, officials of Konkan Railway, which is overseeing the construction of the twin-tunnel project, and representatives of Dilip Buildcon Limited, the contracting company.

The team also inspected the land identified by the company for storing excavated material from the tunnel works. It examined metal scraps, vehicle parts and concrete debris that had accumulated in the Meenakshi River near the mudslide site.

District Collector D R Meghasree, Additional District Magistrate K Ajeesh, Sub Collector Athul Sagar, District Geologist T M Shelju and officials from various departments accompanied the expert team during the inspection.

Eight persons were killed and nine others injured in the devastating landslip that swept down from the upper portion of the tunnel-mouth area on July 7. More than a dozen people had a narrow escape from the surge of water, slush and boulders.

The disaster has also sparked a debate over its exact cause and whether it was linked to the twin-tunnel project. A section of experts and officials associated with Dilip Buildcon Limited and the former LDF government maintained that the tunnel was safe and that the disaster was not caused by the heaps of excavated soil at the construction site. They argued that it was a natural landslide whose crown originated in the forest area, about 12 metres beyond the company's jurisdiction.

However, those opposing the twin-tunnel project disputed the claim. They argued that, even if the incident was classified as a natural landslide and its crown was located above the tunnel mouth, the disaster reinforced their long-standing concerns over the ecological vulnerability of the region.

One of the major arguments raised against the project is that the tunnel passes through an ecologically fragile landscape prone to landslides and extreme weather events.

The Kalladi site is located close to the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide zone, where more than 300 people were killed in the catastrophic landslides of July 30, 2024. The Puthumala landslide zone, where 17 people lost their lives in 2019, is also only a few kilometres away.

Against this backdrop, the expert panel's findings are expected to be crucial in assessing the stability of the disaster-hit terrain, determining the safe removal and disposal of the accumulated soil and boulders, and addressing broader safety concerns surrounding the twin-tunnel road project.