Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], July 8 : Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Wednesday announced two separate investigations into the Wayanad tunnel construction site landslide that claimed three lives, saying the state government will examine both the cause of the accident and whether environmental clearance conditions were violated during the execution of the project.
Addressing a press conference after the state Cabinet meeting, Satheesan said the Cabinet had reviewed the tragedy in Wayanad and all reports received so far before deciding to initiate technical and legal proceedings into the incident.
"Today's Cabinet meeting evaluated the tragedy in Wayanad and reviewed all reports received so far. It has been decided to initiate technical and legal proceedings to investigate the circumstances that led to this accident. In addition, preliminary reports suggest that another landslide occurred just above this site. Further decisions will be made after looking into that as well," the Chief Minister said.
He said the Centre had granted environmental clearance for the tunnel project with specific conditions, compliance with which would now come under scrutiny.
"The central government had granted environmental clearance for this tunnel construction project with strict instructions. Whether the contractors followed them will be examined. Work will resume only after assessing all accident risks; until then, construction remains suspended. Two separate investigations will be conducted: one into the cause of the accident and another into whether environmental clearance guidelines were followed," Satheesan said.
The announcement comes as rescue operations entered the second day at the Kalladi tunnel construction site in Meppadi Grama Panchayat, where a landslide struck at around 11:15 am on Tuesday. Three workers were killed, and five others remain missing.
Earlier in the day, Kerala Agriculture Minister T Siddique said road connectivity to the disaster site had been fully restored after all roads blocked by the mudslide were cleared by around 4 am, allowing the movement of heavy machinery and specialised rescue teams.
"The traffic through the blocked roads due to the mudslide was completely cleared by 4 am today morning. It will help all activities, including transporting vehicles and equipment for the search operations, and the rescue efforts will be boosted in a very good manner," Siddique told ANI.
He said the bodies of the three deceased had been shifted to Government Medical College, Kozhikode, for embalming before being transported to Kochi Airport for onward journey to their respective native states.
District Police Chief S Deva Manohar said rescue efforts were continuing with personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Rapid Response Force (RRF), Fire and Rescue Services and police working in coordinated zones.
"We have recovered three bodies so far. We have received information that five more people are missing. We are concentrating on locating the missing people," Manohar said.
Officials said the landslide buried large portions of the worksite under 7 to 10 feet of mud and debris. Two cadaver dogs have been deployed, with additional search dogs expected to join the operation.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Wayanad for Wednesday, forecasting heavy rainfall of 7 cm to 11 cm at isolated places.
Kerala Police have registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), while an investigation into the incident continues.
The Cabinet also deliberated on allegations of irregularities in examinations conducted by the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC), following reports of anomalies in the valuation process for recruitment to senior posts in the State Planning Board.
"Serious allegations have emerged in connection with the Public Service Commission (PSC). The allegations regarding irregularities in the conduct of examinations are extremely disturbing," Satheesan said.
"Based on the complaints and other information received, the Crime Branch has decided to investigate the alleged examination irregularities. The investigation will examine all aspects of the matter," he added.
The decision follows an interim report by the PSC's Internal Vigilance Wing, which found that answers to several descriptive questions were not evaluated because they had not been assigned in the On Screen Marking (OSM) system. The commission has since ordered a comprehensive probe.
On the proposed transfer of a 49 per cent stake in the Vizhinjam International Port project to Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the Chief Minister said the Cabinet had decided to refer the proposal to the Empowered Committee on Vizhinjam Port for detailed examination.
"The Cabinet discussed the request seeking the state's prior approval for the proposed transfer of a 49 per cent stake in the Vizhinjam Port project to MSC. We have decided to refer the matter to the Empowered Committee on Vizhinjam Port, headed by the Chief Secretary, which was constituted earlier to examine issues relating to the concession agreement," Satheesan said.
"The committee has been tasked with examining the proposal from legal and contractual perspectives, while safeguarding Kerala's interests. Its recommendations will be placed before the Cabinet for further consideration," he said.
Emphasising the state's position, the Chief Minister added, "The Cabinet has also decided that the state government will not take any decision that compromises Kerala's interests."
The proposed transaction involves Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) transferring a 49 per cent stake in Vizhinjam Port's concessionaire to Terminal Investment Limited (TiL), the port operating arm of MSC Group. The deal remains subject to statutory and regulatory approvals, including approval from the Kerala government.