Latest news with #TwinTunnelProject
Time of India
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Renewed concerns over procedural violations
SLUG- Twin Tunnel Project Kozhikode: Just three days before the first anniversary of Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide that killed 298 people and destroyed two villages, PWD minister PAM Riyas announced the start of the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi twin tunnel road project. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The 8.2km road will cut through a high-risk landslide zone in Wayanad, an area hit by several landslides. He called it an Onam gift for Kerala. The irony was inescapable on Wednesday when ministers paid floral tributes at the mass grave of landslide victims in Puthumala, a village which is just 0.85km away from the tunnel road site. Puthumala itself saw a deadly landslide in 2019 that killed 17 people. Even as state govt moves ahead with the controversial Rs 2,134-cr tunnel road project, the plan is facing fresh scrutiny. It has now come to light that the approval process involved several procedural lapses—especially in how the environmental impact assessment (EIA) was handled by an agency linked to the state govt. There are also allegations that the project proponent withheld key information while seeking Stage-1 forest clearance. Questions have been raised about whether state level environment impact assessment authority (SEIAA) had the proper jurisdiction to assess the project. Despite warnings in the report that the tunnel route passes through landslide-prone terrain where major landslides occurred in 2019 and 2024, state-level expert appraisal committee granted environmental clearance (EC) in March. MoEFCC's expert appraisal committee (EAC) granted the final EC in May laying down 60 conditions—despite acknowledging that the tunnel would pass through vulnerable and landslide-prone terrain, reportedly relying on SEIAA's appraisal. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Earlier, Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samiti had raised concerns with the Centre, arguing that the project falls within eco-sensitive area (ESA) villages and should have been treated as a Category-A project. According to EIA notification, any Category-B project located within 5km of an ESA must be treated as Category-A and appraised at the central level by EAC. Samiti said the project's ESA status was deliberately downplayed. It pointed out that while seeking approval to divert 17.2 hectares of forest land, PWD's executive engineer falsely declared in Form A that the project did not fall within any protected or ESA zones. However, the tunnel route clearly passes through ESA villages—specifically Thiruvambady in Kozhikode and Vellarimala in Wayanad—and should have been assessed by EAC, not at the state level. Director of Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology CK Vishnudas said that the tunnel alignment passes through terrain marked as high landslide hazard zones by Kerala State Disaster Management Authority. "It's an ecologically fragile area and carries a high risk of future landslides, especially near the crown of the 2024 Mundakkai landslide," he said. Environmentalists have also questioned the credibility of EIA study. It was conducted by Konkan Railway Corp Ltd and KITCO—both institutions with strong links to Kerala govt. The state is a stakeholder in Konkan Railway, the project's special purpose vehicle and KITCO was founded by the state with IDBI and public sector banks. Their close ties to the govt raise serious concerns about the objectivity and independence of the EIA process. As govt pressed ahead with the project through a region repeatedly scarred by landslides, environmentalists cautioned that neglecting ecological safeguards and past lessons could lead to disastrous consequences. Bhopal-based Dilip Buildcon Ltd had bagged the tunnel construction contract.
Hans India
21-04-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Maha CM bats for project completion within the set deadlines
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday at the 'War Room' meeting reviewed the status of 15 key infrastructure projects and instructed the administration that the work should proceed as per the defined timeline. He also took the review of 18 infrastructure projects, which were discussed during the previous meeting of the War Room. The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said that the 'War Room' meeting included a review of several major projects across Mumbai, Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Western Maharashtra. The CMO said that the projects included Mumbai Metro Line 2B (DN Nagar to Mandale), Metro Line 4 (Wadala to Kasarvadavali), Metro Line 5 (Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan), Metro Line 6 (Swami Samarth Nagar to Vikhroli), Metro Line 7A (Andheri to CSM International Airport Terminal 2), Metro Line 9 (Dahisar East to Mira Bhayander), Orange Gate to Marine Drive Tunnel Project, Borivali to Thane Twin Tunnel Project, Uttan-Virar Sea LinkSewri-Worli Elevated Corridor, Pune Metro, Dahisar to Bhayander Link Road, Goregaon-Magathane DP Road, Goregaon–Mulund Link Road, Northern Coastal Road. The Chief Minister emphasised the importance of meticulous planning to ensure that developmental projects are completed swiftly. He urged the respective departments to hold internal meetings to resolve obstacles so that all development works can be completed in a time-bound manner. He also directed that the land acquisition process be expedited to make land available for these projects. 'Necessary permissions related to forest and environmental concerns should be obtained promptly, and zonal master plans should be prepared as required. Advanced technologies should be used for accurate surveying in large-scale projects like the Dharavi redevelopment,' he said. He also stressed the need to resolve land acquisition issues for the Wardha-Nanded railway project, which connects Vidarbha and Marathwada. 'The process of purchasing private land for the Wardha-Gadchiroli railway line should be completed within seven days. For the Vadhavan Port Project, which is vital for maritime transport, forest land issues should be addressed and necessary decisions taken promptly. The Vadhavan Port is expected to generate significant employment, and hence, implementation should also be fast-tracked,' said the Chief Minister. He further directed that immediate action should be taken regarding land acquisition for metro projects in Mumbai and Pune. 'Technical issues in the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar City Water Supply Project should be resolved without delay, and work should commence urgently. The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) should acquire land for the Magathane to Goregaon DP Road, and necessary wildlife clearances should be granted immediately,' he said. He also instructed that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority should hand over the tenements meant for project-affected persons to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). In the previous 'War Room' meeting, the Chief Minister had reviewed around 18 projects. At that time, 73 issues were discussed, out of which 31 have been resolved, and efforts are ongoing to resolve the remaining issues.
