‘Man-made disaster’: Kerala ministers blame unscientific dumping for Wayanad tunnel landslide

WAYANAD: Kerala ministers Ramesh Chennithala and T Siddique on Tuesday said the incident at the Kalladi tunnel project site in Wayanad was a “man-made” landslide caused by the unscientific dumping of excavated earth.“This is not a natural landslide. It is a man-made one. It occurred due to the unscientific dumping of excavated earth,” Siddique said.Chennithala echoed the view, calling it a man-made disaster, news agency PTI reported."It is certainly a man-made disaster. If the company had removed the dumped earth, this incident would not have occurred. It is an ecologically sensitive area prone to natural disasters," he said.Chennithala said the construction company must explain why the excavated earth was not cleared from the site.Siddique said directions had been issued to assess the situation, remove the accumulated soil and halt work if required. He informed that the government would examine why earlier instructions were not followed.Siddique also said excavated earth had been dumped in a similar manner at the Wayanad Township project, where houses are being built for survivors of the 2024 landslide.

Three people were killed after a landslide hit the Kalladi tunnel construction site on Tuesday in Meppadi grama panchayat of Kerala’s Wayanad district.According to the district administration, 18 people were caught in the landslide near the Meenakshi Bridge at the Kalladi–Anakkampoyil tunnel project site, disrupting traffic on the Meppadi–Chooralmala road, PTI reported.Nine injured persons were shifted to Meppadi WIMS Hospital for treatment.

Those affected include construction workers, security personnel and supervisory staff.An NDRF team from Meenangadi reached the site, while another team from Kozhikode was asked to proceed to Wayanad.Fire and Rescue Services personnel began rescue operations, and efforts were underway to ascertain whether more people were trapped under the debris.The Wayanad district collector reached the spot, and Kerala state disaster management authority chairman Sekhar Kuriakose was asked to coordinate rescue operations.