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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.
The Hindu
29-04-2025
- The Hindu
EAC defers clearance for Anakkampoyil-Meppadi tunnel road project
The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on infrastructure projects of the Union Ministry of Environment has deferred from recommending clearance to the proposed Anakkampoyil-Meppadi tunnel road that connects Kozhikode and Wayanad districts in Kerala, citing that the road would pass through ecologically fragile areas that have witnessed back to back landslides. The road passes close to Puthumala and Chooralmala that witnessed landslides in 2019 and 2024 respectively. The EAC has demanded the Kerala State government to 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. The State-level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) had recently granted clearance to the ₹2,043.74 crore project, despite the concerns raised by environmentalists, with 25 suggestions to mitigate the adverse impacts. The project size mandates approval only at the state level. However, the tenure of the members of the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, which is to give final nod to the recommendations of the SEAC, has ended and hence the ball is now in the court of the EAC. 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, the Anakkampoyil- Muthappanpuzha- Marippuzha road and the Meppadi- Kalladi- Chooralmala road with a four-lane tunnel road, and further connecting it to the State and National highways, thus improving connectivity in North Kerala.
