T’puram: Govt will take a decision on resuming construction of Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel road after receiving an expert committee report assessing safety risks and environmental impact of the project, said CM V D Satheesan in the assembly. Replying to a submission on urgent steps to resume work while ensuring safety, Satheesan said on Tuesday govt was not planning to abandon the project that began in Aug 2025 as an alternative to Thamarassery Ghat road linking Kozhikode and Wayanad.He said govt was not, as claimed, seeking to stop the tunnel road project altogether. “If an accident occurs while construction continues, govt will be held responsible. If work resumes after an accident without proper govt scrutiny, it will face allegations of negligence. After taking all precautions and eliminating risks, govt will take a decision on the committee report,” he said.“Shouldn’t there be a way to know how the work is being carried out? Shouldn’t there be some supervising agency? Even PWD has not been given that role. There is no supervisory agency. Work is being done there however they see fit. That cannot continue. Controls must be imposed and work must proceed in accordance with the conditions laid down in the environmental clearance granted by environment ministry,” he said.Satheesan said govt is examining whether the tunnel road can be completed safely by obeying the conditions set in the environmental report.“Following the major landslide in Kalladi tunnel road area in July 2026, it became govt’s responsibility to take precautionary steps to ensure the work proceeds safely. A committee was appointed. The possibility of landslides, slope stability, the presence of groundwater, the impact of rainfall and the effects of construction need to be assessed scientifically. The involvement of relevant departments and technical experts is essential to guarantee safety,” he said.Satheesan said the expert committee had met several times and sought many reports. “Today, there is a meeting between Konkan Railway Corp Ltd and the expert committee. Once the committee receives the report, it will submit its report quickly,” he said.He said that during elections, there was widespread propaganda that he was opposing the project. “I said the project should not move ahead without doing an environmental impact study. This is because the area is sensitive and has fragile soil. If the terrain sees a major disturbance, then heavy rain could easily trigger landslides and slope failures. I had warned this in advance. I was isolated for this view and everyone attacked me. All I wanted was an environmental impact study. I never said the tunnel road should not be built; I said I could not support it without that study,” he said.
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