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The Hindu
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
11th edition of Malabar River Festival to begin in Kozhikode on July 25
The 11th edition of the Malabar River Festival, an international white-water kayaking championship, will begin at Chalippuzha in the Kodenchery grama panchayat in Kozhikode on Friday (July 25, 2025). The three-day event is being organised by the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS) and the Kozhikode District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), with technical support from the Indian Kayaking & Canoeing Association (IKCA) and the support of the three-tier panchayat, according to a press release. The championship will take place on the Iruvazhinjipuzha and Chalippuzha rivers till Sunday (July 27, 2025). Linto Joseph, MLA, will inaugurate the festival at Pulikkayam at 9 a.m. District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh, district panchayat president Sheeja Sasi, grama panchayat presidents Alex Thomas Chempakassery (Kodenchery) and Bindu Johnson (Thiruvambady), elected representatives, and prominent social and political figures will attend the event. The Olympic events, including men's and women's slalom and extreme slalom, will be held at Chalippuzha in Pulikkayam, while the extreme slalom final, downriver, and boater cross events will take place at Pulloorampara on the Iruvazhinjipuzha river. Tourism and Public Works Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas will inaugurate the closing ceremony and present prizes to the winners at 5 p.m. on July 27. As part of the festival, music performances by the Gramophone Music Band will be held at Pulikkayam at 5 p.m. on July 25, followed by performances by local artists on Saturday (July 26, 2025) and the Mersey Music Band on Sunday at Elanthakadavu. Following the death of former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, the freestyle demonstration competition scheduled to be held at Meenthullippara in Chakkittapara on the Kuttiady river on Thursday (July 24, 2025) was cancelled. Kayakers from foreign countries and northern Indian States are currently training on the Chalippuzha and Iruvazhinjipuzha rivers. Pre-events were also organised in various panchayats as part of the festival's promotion.
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Wayanad twin tunnel project gets Centre's green clearance
1 2 3 4 Kozhikode: The Union environment, forest and climate change ministry has granted clearance for the construction of the controversial Rs 2,134-crore Wayanad (Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi) twin tunnel road. The environmental clearance was granted based on the recommendation of the expert appraisal committee (infrastructure, CRZ and other miscellaneous projects), which had laid down over 60 conditions. Work on the tunnel road can now start after signing the contract, said Tiruvambadi MLA Linto Joseph of CPM. He said chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan would inaugurate the work next month. "The tunnel construction will be carried out under a tripartite agreement between PWD, KIIFB and Konkan Railway. The contract has been awarded to Bhopal-based Dilip Buildcon and Kolkata-based Royal Infrastructure. The tender process is over," he said. The central order states that clearance has been granted subject to the compliance of the 60 specific conditions laid down by environmental impact assessment, in addition to all standard conditions applicable to such projects. The order states that perceived geological impacts from tunnelling activities during construction include vibration from methods like blasting, which can lead to landslips if uncontrolled. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What She Did Mid-Air Left Passengers Speechless medalmerit Learn More Undo To manage this, a vibration monitoring plan shall be implemented before tunnelling starts, including demarcating impact areas and regulating blasting charges as advised by CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research. It said that during the operational stage, regulating speed can help mitigate adverse vibration impacts. "Additionally, ground settlement and potential subsidence in fracture zones necessitate documenting the tunnel's overburden architecture early in the process to guide precautionary measures. Other impacts include groundwater seepage through fractures, which can be evaluated through horizontal boreholes during tunnelling and guiding measures like selecting appropriate tunnelling methods. Monitoring for material creep and landslips near steep slopes should involve installing landslide sensors and vibration monitors," the order said. Environmentalists had raised concerns about the project's adverse ecological impact as it passes near high landslide-prone areas which had witnessed catastrophic landslides in 2018 and the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides in 2024. They had vowed to challenge the decision to grant environment clearance legally. The state-level expert appraisal committee had earlier given its approval for the project. However, the term of the members of the state environmental impact assessment authority, which was to give the final approval, expired following which the project was referred to the central expert committee.
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Union ministry grants environment clearance to Wayanad tunnel road project
Kozhikode: The Union environment, forest and climate change ministry has granted clearance for the construction of the controversial Rs 2,134-crore Wayanad (Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi) twin tunnel road. The environmental clearance was granted based on the recommendation of the expert appraisal committee (infrastructure, CRZ and other miscellaneous projects), which had laid down over 60 conditions. Work on the tunnel road can now start after signing the contract, said Tiruvambadi MLA Linto Joseph. He said chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan would inaugurate the work next month. "The tunnel construction will be carried out under a tripartite agreement between PWD, KIIFB and Konkan Railway. The contract has been awarded to Bhopal-based Dilip Buildcon and Kolkata-based Royal Infrastructure. The tender process is over," he said. The central order states that clearance has been granted subject to the compliance of the 60 specific conditions laid down by environmental impact assessment, in addition to all standard conditions applicable to such projects. The order states that perceived geological impacts from tunnelling activities during construction include vibration from methods like blasting, which can lead to landslips if uncontrolled. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Here's A List Of Cheapest Steel Suppliers (See List) Steel Suppliers | search ads Search Now Undo To manage this, a vibration monitoring plan shall be implemented before tunnelling starts, including demarcating impact areas and regulating blasting charges as advised by CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research. It said that during the operational stage, regulating speed can help mitigate adverse vibration impacts. "Additionally, ground settlement and potential subsidence in fracture zones necessitate documenting the tunnel's overburden architecture early in the process to guide precautionary measures. Other impacts include groundwater seepage through fractures, which can be evaluated through horizontal boreholes during tunnelling and guiding measures like selecting appropriate tunnelling methods. Monitoring for material creep and landslips near steep slopes should involve installing landslide sensors and vibration monitors," the order said. Environmentalists had raised concerns about the project's adverse ecological impact as it passes near high landslide-prone areas which had witnessed catastrophic landslides in 2018 and the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides in 2024. They had vowed to challenge the decision to grant environment clearance legally. The state-level expert appraisal committee had earlier given its approval for the project. However, the term of the members of the state environmental impact assessment authority, which was to give the final approval, expired following which the project was referred to the central expert committee.
The Hindu
29-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Stringent norms set for execution of Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel road project
An expert panel under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) that recently granted final clearance for the proposed Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel road project has fixed stringent norms for the project's execution under the direct monitoring of a four-member committee recommended by the District Collector. A review report will have to be submitted every six months after the commencement of work. 'A notification on the final clearance will be out within a week, which will help us move to the construction phase. The formal construction agreement will be signed following the final clearance,' said Thiruvambady MLA Linto Joseph. While giving final clearance, the expert panel has laid 60 conditions to reduce environmental impact and address concerns raised by various green bodies about natural calamities in ecologically sensitive areas. 'The norms fixed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the Central Institute for Mining and Fuel Research will have to be strictly followed at the worksite. Also, suggestions by various government panels related to geology, environment, and mining will have to be considered as such,' said Mr. Joseph. There is also a proposal to establish four ground vibrator monitoring stations to constantly assess the work's impact, he added. Ensuring proper protection of biodiversity in the project area is another major condition. The construction company will have to ensure that the flow of the Iruvazhinji river is not interrupted. Also, the company will be responsible for the close monitoring of the quality of air in the constructed tunnel. The ₹2,134-crore project will be completed with the cooperation of the Department of Public Works, Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board, and Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL). The tendering process had already been completed for the project which will be implemented by Bhopal-based Dilip Buildcon Limited and Kolkota-based Royal Infrastructure. Meanwhile, N. Badusha, president of Wayanad Prakruthi Samrakshana Samithi, said the Samithi would move the Kerala High Court challenging the clearance for the project. Also, a protest would be staged along with other organisations during Environment Day celebrations in front of the Wayanad Collectorate on June 5,' he said. 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, the Chief Minister had included it in the list of 30 special projects directly monitored by him.
The Hindu
05-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Tunnel road project: Kerala to provide clarifications to EAC in a week
Responding to the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) deferring clearance to the Anakkampoyil-Meppadi tunnel road project recently, the Kerala government is planning to provide the necessary clarifications sought in a week. The EAC on infrastructure projects of the Ministry of Environment has cited the proximity of the project areas to the ecologically fragile regions that have witnessed back-to-back landslides as the main reason for not providing clearance at the moment. It has demanded that the State furnish details on studies on geology, landslides, and water drainage, besides a detailed note on possible mitigation measures against landslides and flooding to be adopted during the construction of the tunnel and operation phases. Since the clarifications sought are mostly regarding the ecological impact of the tunnel, the Department of Environment, under the Chief Minister, is readying the necessary documents to be submitted before the Committee. 'We have all the documents necessary. We expect the clearance to be granted soon,' said Thiruvambady MLA Linto Joseph, who has been an active advocate for the tunnel road. He said that Konkan Railway Corporation Limited, which is carrying out the construction, would coordinate clarifications from the departments concerned. The State-level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) had recently granted clearance to the ₹2,043.74-crore project, despite concerns raised by environmentalists, with 25 suggestions to mitigate the adverse impacts. The EAC has noted that the tunnel passes through highly vulnerable terrain prone to landslides necessitating precautions during and after the construction to avert vibration-induced landslides. It also cited the possibility of aggravation of geological and biodiversity vulnerabilities due to the tunnel's alignment. The area is home to some rare bird species such as the Banasura Chilappan and the Nilgiri Sholakkili. The proposed project involves connecting two existing roads — Anakkampoyil-Muthappanpuzha-Marippuzha road and Meppadi-Kalladi-Chooralmala road — with a four-lane tunnel road that is 8.11 km long, and further linking it to State and National Highways, thus improving connectivity in north Kerala. The tunnel road is expected to be an alternative to the Thamarassery Ghat Road.
