Chief Minister to inaugurate work on Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel road project in Kozhikode on August 31

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the construction work on the proposed Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel road project, which was recently accorded final clearance by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), at Anakkampoyil in Kozhikode district on August 31.

A 501-member reception committee comprising people’s representatives and local administrators will coordinate the event and the participation of over 10,000 people from Kozhikode and Wayanad districts are expected.

Thiruvambady MLA Linto Joseph said the reception committee was formed last week at a meeting attended by various political party leaders, local body representatives  and Public Works department officials. Representatives of the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited and the contractors who won the bid for the construction work were also present.

The ₹2,134-crore project will be completed with the cooperation of the Department of Public Works, Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board and the Konkan Railway Corporation limited (KRCL). The construction work will be carried out by the Bhopal-based Dilip Buildcon Limited and the Kolkata-based Royal Infrastructure.

Monitored by CM

It was on October 16, 2000 that the blueprint of the 8.17-km twin tunnel project, claimed to be the third longest underpass in the country, was unveiled by Mr. Vijayan. To speed up the project execution, Mr. Vijayan had included it on the list of 30 special projects directly monitored by him in the State.

According to Public Works department officials, 60 specific conditions laid by the MoEFCC will be followed strictly to reduce the environmental impact on the project area and address the concerns of various environmental organisations in the ecologically sensitive areas. One of the major conditions is strict compliance with all rules related to blasts in the project area, they point out.

They also confirm that the norms fixed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the Central Institute for Mining and Fuel Research will be equally applicable at the worksite. Four ground vibrator monitoring stations will also be established to constantly watch the impacts apart from complying with the suggestions made by various other government panels related to geology, environment and mining.

Biodiversity protection

According to Revenue department officials, a district-level committee will also monitor the work to ensure the protection of the biodiversity in the area. The concerns raised by various environmentalists’ organisations will be considered throughout the project implementation. The construction company has already been asked to ensure that the flow of the Iruvazhinji river will not be affected during the work. Also, the company will be responsible for the close monitoring of the quality of air in the constructed tunnel.