Kerala High Court Report: Wayanad Tunnel Landslip Foreseeable After Repeated Warnings

A landslip occurred on July 7 at the under‑construction Anakkampoyil‑Kalladi‑Meppadi twin tunnel project in Wayanad, Kerala. An amicus curiae submitted a report to the Kerala High Court stating that the disaster was not unforeseen; five written warnings had been issued by the District Disaster Management Authority and the district administration to the Kerala Public Works Department and the executing contractor, urging removal of the dumped excavated soil and other preventive steps. The report said the authorities ignored these directives, that the large soil mound posed a risk of slope instability, and that the contractor’s retaining wall and tarpaulin cover were inadequate. It affirmed that the state government and the PWD bear primary responsibility for complying with environmental‑clearance conditions and cannot shift blame to the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited, which is executing the project. The report also noted that work had been ordered to stop on June 27 under a standing monsoon‑work ban, recommended lowering the soil‑dump height, relocating families living near the Meenakshi bridge during heavy rain, and urged the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority to issue an interim SOP for projects in landslide‑prone areas.