GPS survey for Poozhithode-Padinjarathara road to be completed soon

With the GPS survey for the feasibility study of the Poozhithode–Padinjarathara road set to begin on the Poozhithode side on Thursday (September 11), the public committee, which has been staging a relay protest for nearly 1,000 days, finally sees light at the end of the tunnel.

“We always had hope, but it was a relentless struggle to make the authorities see reason,” said Kamal Joseph, an active member of the Padinjarathara protest committee.

The road linking Poozhithode in Chakkittapara grama panchayat, Kozhikode district, and Padinjarathara in Wayanad district has been described as the most cost-effective, eco-friendly, and practical alternative to the Wayanad Ghat road.

Although work on the 27.225-km stretch began in 1994 and around 70% was completed, the project was halted following objections from the Kerala Forest department. As many as 183 families—150 in Wayanad and 33 in Kozhikode—had surrendered land for the project three decades ago. The 2 km stretch from Poozhithode to Panakkamkadavu, a 5 km mud road from Panakkamkadavu to Karinkanni on the Kozhikode side, and the Padinjarathara–Kappikkalam section on the Wayanad side together make up 14.285 km, leaving 12.94 km unfinished. Of this, 9 km lies within forest land, over which the Forest department raised objections in 1995, citing its status as a reserved forest and could not be allowed to be destroyed.

“We filed an RTI petition in 2016 and found that the land was only a vested forest, through which the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) had already laid a small road. Ironically, neither people’s representatives nor officials bothered to verify the facts, causing a 31-year delay before the project could be reconsidered,” Mr. Joseph said.

In 2024, the State government sanctioned ₹1.5 crore for a feasibility study, while the Chief Wildlife Warden fixed September 18, 2025, as the deadline for its completion. The GPS survey on the Wayanad side was completed in February this year, but the Kozhikode stretch remained pending. “All routes are now clear, and the survey will begin at Poozhithode on September 11. It is expected to be completed in a couple of days,” said K. Sunil, president of Chakkittapara grama panchayat.

Once completed, the data will be uploaded to the Parivesh (Pro-Active and Responsive Facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous, and Environmental Single Window Hub) portal of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Further action on the road project depends on the Ministry’s clearance.

“If everything goes well, the road can be completed soon. The Public Works department has informed us it can be finished within six months at a cost of around ₹500 crore,” Mr. Joseph said.