Kerala: Centre accords in-principle nod for twin tunnel project

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Union government has given in-principle sanction (stage-one forest clearance) for the diversion of forest land for the construction of twin tunnel with four-lane approach roads via Anakkampoyil, Kalladi and Meppadi connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad.
Assistant inspector general of forests (central) B N Anjan Kumar has communicated the in-principle approval for diversion of forest land to additional chief secretary, Kerala, (forest and wildlife department).
As per the communication, the stage-one clearance was granted based on the approval of a regional empowered committee and examination of the proposal of the state government.
As many as 17.263 hectares of forest land will be diverted for providing direct connectivity between Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi Road in Kozhikode and Wayanad South division of Kerala, the letter has stated.
The Centre has laid down a set of conditions which need to be complied prior to handing over of the forest land by the state forest department.
One of the conditions is that an equivalent extent of non-forest land identified for compensatory afforestation in various survey numbers of Koolivayal, Chullikad, Madaparambu and Manalvayal of Wayanad shall be transferred and mutated in favour of the forest department. The non-forest land for compensatory afforestation shall be notified as reserve forest by the government before the stage-two clearance.
The in-principle approval shall be valid for five years. The proposal shall be considered for final approval after the receipt of compliance report on fulfilment of the conditions.
The tunnel road is being envisaged to ease transportation and reduce traffic congestion on Thamarassery Ghat Road, which has nine hairpin bends over a length of 12km, as per the social impact assessment report of the project. One hour can be saved in the journey to Wayanad and places such as Bengaluru and Ooty, the report states.
The project has been met with serious objections from environmentalists. The forest department has reported that out of the 17.53 ha of land identified for compensatory afforestation, only 7.4 ha of land is suitable for planting.
As many as 7,400 saplings are proposed to be planted in this area while 96 trees will be felled for the project. The remaining area of 10.13 ha is identified as ecologically-sensitive paddy lands.