Wayanad debris tragedy: Contractor failed to clear soil despite orders, says Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Tuesday stated that the debris slip tragedy in Wayanad's Kalladi area was caused by a contractor's failure to remove excavated soil, despite repeated directions from authorities. He made the remarks after visiting the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) headquarters.

The Chief Minister said that on June 20, the Wayanad District Collector and the District Disaster Management Authority had directed the contractor to clear the soil from the construction site. The Public Works Department minister had also issued similar instructions, but the contractor did not comply. 'The accumulated soil had turned muddy. The Disaster Management Authority had specifically ordered its removal after inspecting the site,' Mr. Satheesan said.

Responding to questions about the role of heavy rainfall, the Chief Minister noted that only a yellow alert had been issued for the district on Monday. 'The tragedy was not caused by the alert, but by the failure to remove the piled-up soil despite repeated instructions,' he said. He added that weather alerts are issued as per norms set by central agencies.

Mr. Satheesan assured that the remaining soil and debris at the site would be removed immediately and stressed the need for strict adherence to safety standards in all infrastructure projects.

Agriculture Minister T. Siddique described the incident as a 'man-made disaster,' blaming the unscientific dumping of excavated soil. He said the contractor's failure to remove the debris in time led to the accident.

The Chief Minister also expressed concern about safety on national highway construction projects across the state. He said that before the monsoon, the government had convened a meeting of district collectors and instructed them to identify and inspect vulnerable locations. He added that complaints had been received about safety norms not being strictly followed at several national highway project sites.

Following the incident, the Chief Minister held an emergency meeting with Minister Siddique and directed Revenue Minister A.P. Anilkumar and Minister Siddique to proceed to Wayanad to coordinate rescue operations. A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) unit from Meenangadi, along with a team stationed in Kozhikode, was deployed to the site.

According to the KSDMA, debris that had accumulated during excavation at the Wayanad–Kalladi tunnel construction site slid downhill amid heavy rainfall, blocking roads and trapping workers. The authority reported that the area received 265 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours preceding the incident.