Wayanad: The Konkan Railway Corporation, which was awarded the overall contract for the Wayanad-Kozhikode tunnel project, on Friday refuted allegations of lapses in the project. It issued a clarification amid allegations that shortcomings in the tunnel construction led to the landslide at Kalladi on July 7.
In its statement, the Konkan Railway Corporation claimed that the landslide occurred around 200 metres away from the excavated area and not at the location where the slope had been protected in accordance with the approved design and drawings.
It said that the landslide originated from a height of more than 100 metres above the tunnel crown, and the elevation difference exerted enormous pressure on the lower sections of the protected slope. As a result, nearby trees were uprooted, and soil was swept away in a single movement, according to the statement.
The corporation further claimed that the soil and muck accumulated at the site had been stable, but the landslide debris flow was so sudden that the personnel present at the location were trapped.
It also said that tunnelling work had already been suspended from mid-June due to the onset of the monsoon, and only technical staff were present at the site on the morning of the incident to monitor any slope movement in the area where the excavated soil had been deposited.
Konkan Railway further maintained that the portal slope near the tunnel remained stable throughout the excavation and construction period, and that all construction work had been carried out in accordance with the approved drawings, specifications and engineering practices.
"Necessary temporary supports, drainage arrangements and slope protection measures had been implemented before the incident," it claimed.
The clarification from Konkan Railway comes amid allegations that the soil accumulated at the project site had not been removed despite repeated directions from the authorities, resulting in the increased intensity of the landslide.
The landslide occurred on July 7 at the site of the Anakkompoyil-Meppadi tunnel project, which is intended to connect the Wayanad and Kozhikode districts.
Seven people have been killed in the disaster, while one person remains missing.
