Thiruvambady MLA Linto Joseph on Wednesday (May 28, 2025) informed that the Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel road project had secured final clearance from an expert panel constituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forest. He said permission was granted with instructions to comply with 60 specific parameters.
“A notification related to the same decision will be out within a week. We will be able to sign the official contract with the shortlisted company for the construction work,” said Mr. Joseph. He added that the date of inauguration of the work would be announced soon after discussions with the Chief Minister.
Mr. Joseph pointed out that there were baseless propaganda against the project that the Centre had refused to grant final clearance. He said the project would be executed with the support of the Public Works department, Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL), and the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board.
The MLA made it clear that the work would be carried out strictly in compliance with official guidelines. “Precautions will be taken to protect biodiversity. A four-member panel under the District Collector will closely monitor the work,” he said.
It was on October 16, 2020, that the blueprint for the 8.17-km twin tunnel, claimed to be the third longest underpass in the country, was unveiled by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. KRCL was roped in considering its expertise in executing similar projects successfully. To speed up the execution of the project, the Chief Minister had also included it in the list of 30 special projects directly monitored by him.
Published – May 28, 2025 11:23 pm IST
