Kerala ministers call Kalladi tunnel mudslide a ‘man-made disaster’

Kerala ministers Ramesh Chennithala and T. Siddique termed the Kalladi tunnel project mudslide a man-made disaster, alleging unscientific dumping of excavated earth. They said earlier warnings were ignored as rescue operations continued following the fatal incident

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala ministers Ramesh Chennithala and T Siddique on Tuesday said the incident at the Kalladi tunnel project site was not a natural landslide but a “man-made” one caused by the “unscientific dumping” of excavated earth.

Addressing reporters, Siddique said the injured persons admitted to WIMS Hospital were in stable condition. “This is not a natural landslide. It is a man-made one. It occurred due to the unscientific dumping of excavated earth,” he said.

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The minister said concerns over the manner in which excavated earth was being dumped at the site had been raised earlier after heavy rains in Wayanad. He said directions had been issued to assess the situation, remove the accumulated earth and stop work if necessary.

“The government will examine why this happened and why the earlier directions were not followed,” Siddique said. He said that excavated earth had been dumped similarly at the Wayanad Township project, where houses are being constructed for survivors of the 2024 landslide.

Siddique said Wayanad had received 256 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours. He said an NDRF team from Meenangadi had reached the site and another team from Kozhikode had also been asked to proceed to Wayanad.

Fire and Rescue Services personnel had already begun rescue operations. The minister said the Wayanad district collector had reached the spot and that Kerala State Disaster Management Authority chairman Sekhar Kuriakose had been asked to coordinate the rescue operations at all levels.

He added that authorities had begun efforts to ascertain whether more people were trapped under the debris. Siddique said Revenue Minister A P Anil Kumar and he were proceeding to Wayanad to oversee the situation.

Chennithala also termed the landslide at Kalladi in Wayanad a “man-made disaster”. Speaking to reporters in Kollam, Chennithala said the tragedy could have been avoided if the construction firm had removed the huge quantity of earth excavated during the tunnel work, in line with directions issued by the district administration.

“It is certainly a man-made disaster. If the company had removed the dumped earth, this incident would not have occurred. It is an ecologically sensitive area prone to natural disasters,” he said.

“When a tunnel project is undertaken in such a place, the excavated earth should be removed without delay,” he added. The minister said the construction company should explain why the excavated earth from the tunnel project had not been cleared from the site.

“Anyway, it is a very unfortunate and painful incident,” he added. Chennithala said rescue operations were progressing on a war footing. “The injured are being provided proper medical care. All ministers are closely monitoring developments at the site. Maximum efforts are being made to carry out rescue operations,” he added.

According to details provided by the CM, one person was killed, seven were injured, and seven others were missing in the landslide at Kalladi.