PWD should not be blamed for Wayanad tunnel site mishap, says Kerala minister

New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 7 (PTI) Kerala PWD Minister P K Basheer on Tuesday said the department should not be blamed for the landslide at the Kalladi tunnel road project site in Wayanad, asserting that the project was being executed by Konkan Railway Corporation under an arrangement made during the previous LDF government's tenure. Speaking to reporters, Basheer said the tragedy should not be politicised. "We did not prepare the estimate for the project. The Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) appointed Konkan Railway Corporation as the special purpose vehicle (SPV). The work arrangement was made by Konkan Railway. Everything was done by Konkan Railway. Do not blame the PWD for it," he said. The minister said the state government had reviewed the project soon after the UDF assumed office and had warned the executing agency about the potential risks at the site. He said an online review meeting was convened on June 12 with officials, including the PWD Secretary, Additional Secretary, district collectors and representatives of Konkan Railway. Following the meeting, PWD Secretary Adeela Abdulla, Chief Engineers and the Wayanad District Collector were deputed to inspect the site. "They found a huge quantity of excavated earth piled up there. We instructed Konkan Railway that no work should be carried out during rain, no workers should be deployed in such conditions and the accumulated earth should be removed," Basheer said. He said another review meeting was held on July 1, during which the executing agency was again directed to take precautionary measures. "We communicated all these instructions to Konkan Railway. The PWD had no supervisory or execution role in the project. That arrangement was made during the previous government's tenure," he said. Basheer said the project had received the required environmental clearances from the Union Ministry of Environment before construction began. Asked whether the accident was the result of the contractor ignoring government directions, the minister said the government had conveyed its concerns to Konkan Railway and would examine the circumstances leading to the incident. "You should not see politics in everything. A disaster has happened. Rescue operations are under way," he said. PWD Secretary Adeela Abdulla said the minister had repeatedly raised safety concerns during review meetings over the past three weeks and instructed that no labourers should be deployed at the site during adverse weather. "As a result, no labourers were trapped in the landslide. Those affected were engineers and security personnel. Had regular work been in progress, the tragedy could have been much worse," she said. She said the department had inspected the site along with officials from the Geological Survey and environmental authorities. According to Abdulla, the excavated earth had been piled up before the onset of the monsoon. She said if labourers had been engaged in removing the earth during the rains, they too could have been trapped in the landslide. She said experts from the Geological Survey had advised that the accumulated earth should not be disturbed for the time being and that residents living downhill near the Meenakshi River may have to be relocated if necessary at the expense of contractors. PTI TBA TBA ROH