Home / Environment / Kerala HC OKs Kozhikode-Wayanad Tunnel Project
Kerala HC OKs Kozhikode-Wayanad Tunnel Project
16 Dec
Summary
- Kerala High Court dismissed NGO's plea against tunnel project linking two districts.
- Project aims to significantly reduce travel time between Kozhikode and Wayanad.
- Court found no procedural lapse in environmental clearance for the tunnel.
The Kerala High Court has rejected a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samity, an NGO, which sought to halt the construction of a twin-tube tunnel corridor linking Kozhikode and Wayanad districts. The samity had raised concerns over the environmental clearance granted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC), citing potential damage to the region's fragile ecosystem.
The proposed 8.73-km tunnel corridor aims to significantly reduce travel time between the two districts. The NGO argued that the clearance was granted mechanically, ignoring the ecologically sensitive nature of the area and its history of natural disasters like floods and landslides. They also contended that the environmental impact assessment was not comprehensive enough.
