Published Jul 08, 2026 | 11:43 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 08, 2026 | 12:35 PM
Agriculture Minister T Siddique and Revenue Minister AP Anilkumar at the scene on Tuesday night.
Synopsis: The Chief Minister called the Wayanad Twin Tube Tunnel project tragedy “unfortunate” and made it clear that construction will resume only after all aspects are examined. The site of the accident happens to be five kilometres away from Chooralmala, which had been hit by one of the worst landslides in Kerala’s history around two years ago.
The Kerala government has temporarily suspended all construction activities on the ambitious Anakkampoyil–Kalladi–Meppadi Twin Tube Tunnel Road Project following the recent mishap at the site that claimed three lives, with the Cabinet ordering two separate inquiries into the incident.
The dead were identified as operator Chandrabhan Pai from Madhya Pradesh, civil foreman Bikash Kumar from Bihar and labourer Anmol of Jharkhand.
Those reported missing are construction manager Vikram Rana (Himachal Pradesh), engineer Rahul (Himachal Pradesh), excavator operator Mohammed Imran (Bihar), and surveyors Rakesh Guchait (West Bengal) and Azharuddin Ansari (Uttar Pradesh).
The site is just five kilometres away from Chooralmala that had been devastated by a landslide, which claimed 300 lives around two years ago.
Announcing the decision after the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister VD Satheesan said the government would undertake a comprehensive techno-legal study to determine the circumstances that led to the accident before allowing work to resume.
“The incident is unfortunate. The government has decided to conduct a detailed techno-legal examination. Only after completing the study and examining all aspects will construction be permitted to restart,” the Chief Minister said.
The first inquiry will focus on establishing the exact reasons behind the accident. As part of the investigation, authorities will examine reports suggesting that a soil slip may have occurred at the site and assess whether the large quantity of excavated earth stockpiled nearby aggravated the impact of the incident.
The second inquiry will scrutinise the role of the construction company, particularly whether it complied with the conditions laid down while executing the project. The government will verify if the contractor adhered to the environmental safeguards and other stipulations imposed by the Ministry of Environment while granting clearance for the project.
The Chief Minister said government agencies had earlier instructed the contractor to remove the accumulated soil from the construction site, but the directions were allegedly not complied with. Investigators will examine whether this failure contributed to the accident.
Authorities will also verify whether all conditions attached to the project’s environmental clearance were implemented during construction. The government will examine if the contractor followed every mandatory instruction issued by the Ministry of Environment and whether there were any violations.
The state government has made it clear that construction on the strategically important tunnel road project will remain suspended until both investigations are completed and the findings are assessed. Only after the techno-legal study establishes the cause of the accident and the government’s scrutiny of the contractor’s compliance is concluded will a decision be taken on resuming the project.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday spoke to Chief Minister VD Satheesan over the phone and assured the Centre’s full support to Kerala.
During the conversation, Shah sought details of the incident and expressed satisfaction with the response and relief measures undertaken by the state government so far.
He also urged the Chief Minister to order a high-level inquiry into the tragedy.
Satheesan informed the Union Home Minister that the state Cabinet, which met earlier in the day, had already decided to conduct a high-level inquiry into the incident.
(Edited by R Rajesh Kumar.)
