Kalladi landslide: Officials at fault too, allege environmental activists

KOZHIKODE: Questions have been raised over the alleged failure of officials to take adequate precautionary measures to prevent the Kalladi landslide. Environmental activists have accused the authorities of attempting to place the entire responsibility for the disaster on the contractor.

However, Buildcon, the contracting company, maintained that the impact of the landslide was mitigated by a protective retaining wall it had constructed at the excavation site. Officials of the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL), which is implementing the project, said the primary cause of the incident was a landslide on the slope above the construction site. They described it as a rain-induced landslide triggered by heavy rainfall.

An automatic weather station had been installed in the area to monitor rainfall. Heavy rainfall had been forecast for the Kalladi region, where around 222 mm of rain was recorded. However, a Red Alert was issued only after the landslide. Environmental activists contended that no preventive measures were taken despite the high rainfall. They further alleged that although senior officials had directed the contractor to implement safety measures during review meetings, there was no effective follow-up to ensure that the instructions were carried out.

Meanwhile, the contracting company argued that the district administration had failed to provide the facilities it had sought. Company officials said they had not been allotted adequate space for dumping excavated soil.

Environmental Management Committee did not meet regularly
Questions have also been raised over the functioning of the Environmental Management Committee (EMC), which was constituted as part of the project's environmental clearance granted by the Central government. According to the allegations, the committee did not meet regularly as required. Officials had reportedly instructed the contractor to ensure that water did not accumulate on the excavated soil at the project site. However, environmental activists alleged that these directions were not implemented.

N. Badusha of the Wayanad Nature Protection Society alleged that officials adopted a lenient approach towards the contractor despite negligence in carrying out the construction work.