Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samiti president N. Badusha inaugurates a protest in front of Kalpetta Civil Station on July 9, 2026, demanding the permanent abandonment of the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel project.
| Photo Credit: special arrangement
Activists of the Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samiti (WPSS), along with members of various environmental, cultural, and human rights organisations, staged a sit-in protest in front of the Kalpetta civil station on Thursday (July 9, 2026), demanding the immediate cancellation of the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel project aimed at improving connectivity between Kozhikode and Wayanad districts.
The protesters demanded immediate legal action against the contracting company responsible for the construction and called for its blacklisting from future projects as well as the filing of criminal charges against it.
They also urged a comprehensive investigation into the previous State government, alleging that it had secured environmental clearances by deliberately providing false information to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
Speakers at the protest said the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority had originally granted permission for the project subject to 20 stringent conditions, noting that the construction zone is ecologically fragile and lies near an area that has witnessed three major landslides in recent years.
The activists alleged that neither the State government nor the contracting firm had adhered to any of the 60 conditions laid down by the MoEFCC. They also alleged that, despite a strict ban on rock blasting during construction, the project was officially inaugurated with an initial blast detonated by the former Chief Minister.
The committee also raised concerns over the alleged dismissal of its formal complaints and subsequent petitions by the High Court and the Supreme Court, alleging that undue pressure had been exerted by the State government and the contractor. The speakers said that the Supreme Court dismissed their appeal after the State projected the tunnel as the “lifeline of Kerala”.
The activists said the recent landslide at the site was a warning from nature and cautioned that further excavation would trigger environmental disasters. They maintained that the tunnel was not a viable solution to the chronic traffic congestion on Wayanad’s ghat roads and urged the government to prioritise the ecological sustainability of the Western Ghats.
N. Badusha, WPSS president, inaugurated the protest. Varghese Vattekkattil, president of the Western Ghats Protection Committee, presided.
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Published – July 10, 2026 12:43 am IST
