"Man-Made Disaster": 2 Kerala Ministers On Wayanad Landslide That Killed 5

Kerala ministers Ramesh Chennithala and T Siddique have called the landslide in Wayanad today "man-made" and attributed the cause to "unscientific dumping" of debris at a tunnel project site. They demanded to know from the construction company why the excavated debris had not been cleared from the site.

In response, infrastructure company Dilip Buildcon ruled out any technical error that could have led to the landslide, killing five. Dilip Buildcon said the project follows all engineering, safety and environmental approvals and protocols.

Six people were injured in the incident. Rescuers including two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are checking whether anybody is trapped under the debris. It had been raining for some time before the landslide happened. The area recorded 256 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours.

Siddique pointed out excavated soil had been dumped similarly at the Wayanad Township project, where houses are being constructed for survivors of a massive landslide in 2024.

"The government is investigating why mud taken out of the tunnel project was put there without any safety measure. Instructions were given to the authorities concerned to remove it. The instructions were not followed at all," Kerala Agriculture Minister T Siddique said.

"Instructions were also given that eight families near the project were supposed to be rehabilitated. The locals had complained there was an issue with water flowing out of the project. This was not a natural landslide but a man-made one caused by mud that was put there after drilling in the tunnel project," he said.

Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala also agreed with Siddique that the landslide was indeed a "man-made disaster", which could have been avoided if the construction company had removed the huge quantity of mud excavated during the tunnel work, in line with directions issued by the district administration.

"It is certainly a man-made disaster. If the company had removed the dumped earth, this incident would not have occurred. It is an ecologically sensitive area prone to natural disasters," Chennithala said. "When a tunnel project is undertaken in such a place, the excavated earth should be removed without delay."

The landslide was captured on camera. It showed a large mound of mud that had accumulated near a bridge suddenly collapsing due to rain, bringing down trees and barricades at the construction site.

Chief Minister VD Satheesan told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that the contractors had been told much in advance by Public Works Department Minister PK Basheer and the district collector to remove the huge quantity of mud accumulated in the area.

"However, the contractors did not abide by the directions," he said, after reviewing the situation with officials of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) at their office.