Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan
| Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday decided to conduct a detailed investigation into the reasons that led to the debris slip triggered by torrential monsoon rains at the construction area of the Meppadi-Kallady tunnel in Wayanad on Tuesday.Addressing a press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said that the investigation will be multi-pronged, looking at the technical as well as legal aspects of the issue.Wayanad debris slip Live: Search on for 5 missing“The Union government had accorded environmental clearance after stipulating around 50 conditions regarding the construction activities. The investigation will look into whether the company which is implementing the project has followed these. We have also received preliminary reports that a landslide occurred in the area above the project site. The investigation will also examine the reasons that led to the debris slip. The work on the project will be restarted only after this,” he said.Mr. Satheesan said that the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government as well as its supporters had “targeted” him when he, as the Leader of the Opposition, had raised concerns regarding the implementation of the tunnel project in a sensitive and fragile area such as Wayanad.“CPI(M) cyber handles portrayed me as a political leader standing against development when I raised these concerns. When the State government initially got a committee to study the impact of the project, it said that such a project should never be implemented. The Union government also took a similar stand. However, the State government again exerted pressure after which the Union government accorded sanctions after stipulating around 50 conditions for the project to go ahead,” he said.At least three people were killed, and several were reported missing when a massive heap of excavated mud swamped the portal of the under-construction tunnel road in Wayanad on Tuesday.Mr. Satheesan is set to visit the Kalladi area, where the debris slip happened, later on Wednesday. Published - July 08, 2026 11:37 am IST
