Keralam PWD officers assigned to watch over Kozhikode-Wayanad tunnel road project

The Keralam government has given senior Public Works Department officers the job of watching over the construction of the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel road that connects Kozhikode and Wayanad districts.

Supervisory Duties

Under the new order, the Superintending Engineer of PWD Roads for Kozhikode North Circle, along with the Executive Engineers of PWD Roads for Kozhikode and Wayanad, will directly check all building work. The government made this choice after people raised worries that no dedicated agency was checking the work. These newly assigned officials will coordinate the building work and make sure workers follow safety rules and environmental conditions set by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The Konkan Railway Corporation Limited remains the main agency in charge of building this major project.

## Suspension And Safety

Building work at all tunnel openings has been temporarily stopped by the government after a debris slip happened at Kalladi in July 2026. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly recently, the Chief Minister stated that work will start again only after an expert committee checks environmental and safety worries and hands in its report, and all possible dangers are fully removed. Panel sources say that some important papers are still awaited from the building agency and various government departments, even though committee members have visited the site several times.

Context

Large infrastructure projects in hilly areas often require careful safety checks and environmental clearances to prevent landslides and debris slips during heavy rains. The Kozhikode-Wayanad tunnel road is an important connectivity project designed to make travel easier between the two districts in Keralam.