Wayanad tunnel project gets Union Ministry nod
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has issued the final order giving environmental clearance to the proposed Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel road project with stringent norms.
The order was issued on Tuesday (June 17) based on the recommendations of an expert committee formed under the Ministry.
The latest order will help the State government officially start the construction work at the earliest. The ₹2,134-crore project will be executed with the cooperation of the Department of Public Works, Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board, and the Konkan Railway Corporation (KRC).
The tendering process has already been completed for the project, which will be implemented by Bhopal-based Dilip Buildcon Limited and Kolkata-based Royal Infrastructure.
According to Public Works department sources, the expert panel has laid 60 conditions to reduce the environmental impact and the concerns raised by various environmental organisations about the natural calamities in the ecologically sensitive areas.
One of the major conditions is the strict compliance with all blasts in the project area and all the norms fixed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the Central Institute for Mining and Fuel Research, they added.
Also, the latest notification makes it clear that the suggestions by various other government panels related to geology, environment, and mining will have to be considered as such, apart from establishing four ground vibrator monitoring stations to constantly watch the impacts.
A four-member committee recommended by the District Collector will also have to be formed to monitor the project and submit a review report every six months after the commencement of the works.
Ensuring proper protection of the biodiversity in the project area is another major directive. The concerns raised by various environmentalists' organisations on the same will have to be respected throughout the project implementation.
The construction company will have to ensure that the flow of the Iruvazhinji river is not interrupted. Also, it will be responsible for the close monitoring of the quality of air in the constructed tunnel.
It was on October 16, 2000, that the blueprint for the 8.17-km twin tunnel, claimed to be the third longest underpass in the country, was unveiled by Chief Minister Pinarayi 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.
Despite the opposition on the part of environmentalists, the State government moved ahead with the project citing its importance in improving the connectivity between Kozhikode and Wayanad districts, bypassing the Thamarassery ghat road.
The government also found that it would help people of Wayanad to quickly access the better medical facilities in Kozhikode. The possible increase in the export of agricultural produce, including spices, with the seamless connectivity and the subsequent economic growth were also highlighted.
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