KALPETTA: Amid anger and pain, an intense dispute over accountability for the landslip at the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel project site in Wayanad continues to pit officials of the contracting firm against state authorities and local residents. While Agriculture Minister T Siddique, residents and eyewitnesses have labelled the tragedy a “man-made disaster”, representatives of Dilip Buildcon Ltd, the contractor, strongly reject claims of operational failure or corporate negligence.
Recovering in his hospital bed, site employee Kunju R firmly maintains that the disaster was a natural calamity driven by extraordinary weather. On Wednesday, he was allowed to speak to reporters by the private hospital in Meppadi. He recalled that actual tunnel construction had been suspended for 10 days due to the downpour. “Everyone had anticipated that the area where excavated soil was dumped might pose a threat, but that zone remained completely secure,” Kunju stated.
“Instead, the disaster struck from an entirely unexpected quadrant—the dense forest area to the left of the site.” According to project staff, 48 hours of torrential rain created powerful underground springs, causing the heavily saturated topsoil on the forest slope to slide all at once. Sebastian, a GM of the company, reinforced this stance, asserting the mudslide originated 12m outside active construction perimeter.
However,, locals and state authorities argue that the contractor’s blatant disregard of safety protocols played a key role in triggering the mudslide. Hamsa Manthikkara, who narrowly escaped, noted that residents had repeatedly raised concerns about the growing heaps of dirt. “Though they used concrete walls to hold the soil, we kept telling them it may not prove to be enough.”
State officials claim the disaster was entirely preventable. Chief Minister V D Satheesan said the district collector, the public works department, and the disaster management authority had all ordered the contractor to remove the material a fortnight ago.
Compounding the negligence are allegations surrounding the violation of environmental protocols regarding construction-induced vibrations. The Environment Ministry had explicitly mandated that the impact of vibrations from the tunnel work should be monitored every single moment and reported to the district administration and disaster management authority.
Nasreena Muhammed Yunus, who lives just 300m from the site, said the works caused ground tremors, and that household vessels routinely shook inside their homes
Although a vibration-monitoring mechanism was technically installed at the site, its actual operational functionality remains shrouded in ambiguity.