Wayanad Project Hit By Landslide: What Were Environmental Concerns Around Kerala’s Longest Road Tunnel?

Last Updated:July 07, 2026, 14:14 IST

The Wayanad Tunnel Project will be the longest road tunnel in Kerala and the third-longest in India upon completion

A massive landslide on Tuesday struck the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi twin-tunnel road construction site near the Meenakshi Bridge in Kalladi, Wayanad. The incident occurred amid heavy rain, trapping multiple construction workers and labourers beneath the mud and debris.

The Wayanad Tunnel Project, as it is commonly called, is a flagship infrastructure project currently under construction in Kerala. Managed by the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL), it will be the longest road tunnel in Kerala and the third-longest in India upon completion.

The project received final clearance from the Supreme Court in April 2026, and rock excavation officially commenced earlier this year.

WHAT HAPPENED ON TUESDAY?

On July 7, 2026, following 265 mm of torrential rain within 24 hours, a major mudslide struck the Kalladi site near Meppadi. A concrete retaining wall built to reinforce the hillside collapsed, burying worker quarters, vehicles, and heavy machinery under mud and debris. While work was already under a rain-related safety suspension, multiple labourers were caught in the slide. NDRF and emergency services are actively carrying out rescue operations at the site.

Local residents and emergency services rescued at least five workers alive from the debris. They were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Several workers and heavy machinery operators are still feared trapped under the collapsed wall and thick mud.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire and Rescue Services, and local police are actively conducting rescue operations. Heavy rainfall and dense mud are severely hampering the use of earth-moving equipment at the site. Operations at the tunnel site had already been temporarily suspended following a stop memo issued due to monsoon risks.

WAYANAD TUNNEL PROJECT WILL SAVE 45-60 MINUTES OF TRAVEL TIME

The project bypasses the congested and ecologically sensitive Thamarassery Ghat Road (Churam), creating an all-weather alternative route.

Total project length: 8.73 km

Tunnel segment: 8.1-km twin-tube, four-lane underground pass

Distance saved: The project will reduce the travel distance between Anakkampoyil and Meppadi from 42 km to under 20 km.

Time saved: The tunnel is expected to cut the journey between Kozhikode and Wayanad by 45–60 minutes.

Interstate lifeline: It will drastically shorten transit times from central Kerala to Bengaluru (Karnataka) and Tamil Nadu.

TECHNICAL & FINANCIAL BLUEPRINT

• Estimated cost: ₹2,134.50 crore, funded by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).
• Tunnel design: Two parallel underground tubes with two traffic lanes in each direction.
• Primary contractor: Dilip Buildcon Limited.
• Target completion: The project is slated for completion by early 2030.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Conservation groups, including the Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi (WPSS), argue that the project is “suicidal" for the local environment. Despite a legal challenge aimed at halting construction, the Supreme Court cleared the project in April 2026, declaring it a “lifeline" of national importance. It ruled that work could proceed as long as strict environmental safeguards were maintained.

Landslide susceptibility: The tunnel passes directly through the Chooralmala-Mundakkai range, which receives some of the highest monsoon rainfall in southern India. This same region was devastated by severe landslides in recent years, making underground rock blasting highly risky.

Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs): The alignment runs underneath Vavul Mala (the highest peak in Kozhikode) and Chembra Peak. These mountains shelter unique shola forests and the vulnerable heart-shaped Hridayasaras Lake, home to endemic species such as the Banasura Laughingthrush.

Disruption of wildlife corridors: Above-ground segments and tunnel entry points encroach upon active elephant corridors, potentially intensifying human-wildlife conflict in the region.

Hydrological threats and water scarcity: Experts warn that drilling an 8.1-km tunnel through mountain aquifers could trigger severe groundwater depletion. This could dry up local perennial springs, resulting in downstream water shortages.

Enormous waste disposal challenge: Excavation generates vast amounts of rock debris and mud. Activists worry about where this waste will be dumped without choking local rivers.

MANDATED SAFEGUARDS AND COMPENSATORY ACTIONS

To balance development with safety, the State Environmental Appraisal Committee (SEAC) and the court have laid down the following conditions:

Compensatory afforestation: The government must acquire and reforest 17.53 hectares of non-tribal private land within the Wayanad South Forest Division to offset the forest land used for underground and above-ground infrastructure.

Strict monitoring: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) retains the power to appoint independent observers. If the construction violates any environmental norms, the NGT has the authority to suspend operations immediately.

With agency inputs

About the Author

Manjiri Joshi

At the news desk for 20 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing speci...Read More

News explainers Wayanad Project Hit By Landslide: What Were Environmental Concerns Around Kerala’s Longest Road Tunnel?

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