Guwahati: Amid growing national concerns over rapid deforestation in the name of infrastructure development, Devajit Moran, a prominent conservationist from Assam, has strongly criticised the Wayanad Tunnel Project in Kerala for destroying vital forest ecosystems in the Western Ghats.
In a social media statement posted on Sunday, Moran highlighted what he views as the project’s severe environmental cost and questioned the approval process under the current central government.
“No one ever publishes news about the destruction of nature happening across the country. To connect Kozhikode district with Kalladi/Meppadi in Wayanad district, 8.275 kilometres of forest hills have been cut down and destroyed for the Wayanad Tunnel Project in Kerala. Knowing fully well that 8.275 kilometres of forest hills and trees are being completely destroyed, how was this Wayanad Tunnel Project approved? It is extremely sad news that the maximum forest destruction has occurred during the tenure of the BJP government. If our forests continue to be destroyed like this in the name of development, nothing will be left for future generations!!!” Moran stated.
The Anakkampoyil–Kalladi–Meppadi twin-tunnel road project is a flagship initiative of the Kerala government aimed at providing a direct four-lane connection between Kozhikode and Wayanad districts.
The 8.73-km twin-tube tunnel, along with approach roads, is designed to reduce travel distance from approximately 42 km to 22 km, bypassing the accident-prone Thamarassery Ghat section on NH 766.
The project is estimated to cost Rs 2,134 crore and is being implemented through a special purpose vehicle involving the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd, with construction led by Dilip Buildcon. Work, including controlled rock blasting, has already commenced.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, on February 25, 2026, granted Stage-II forest clearance, approving the diversion of 17.263 hectares of forest land. Of this, about 5.76 km of the tunnel alignment passes through forested areas, with most usage being underground.
The clearance comes with 24 stringent conditions, including compensatory afforestation on equivalent non-forest land in Wayanad, planting at least 1,000 saplings per hectare within two years, strict wildlife protection measures, prohibition of surface activities or labour camps above the tunnel to preserve the forest canopy, and regular monitoring.
Environmental groups such as the Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi have opposed the project, citing threats to the Nilgiri-Wayanad biodiversity corridor, elephant migration paths, and landslide-vulnerable zones in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats, already scarred by the devastating 2024 Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides.
Several legal challenges have been dismissed by the Kerala High Court, though appeals continue. Proponents emphasise the tunnel’s potential to boost tourism, agriculture, and regional connectivity while claiming adherence to environmental safeguards.
Moran’s criticism reflects broader debates on forest diversion in India, where official records indicate significant hectares cleared for development projects over the past decade.
As construction advances in this biodiverse hotspot, the Wayanad Tunnel Project exemplifies the persistent tension between economic progress and long-term ecological sustainability, raising critical questions about intergenerational equity in India’s development trajectory.