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Was the Kalladi incident the result of exceptionally heavy rainfall, or was it a tragedy waiting to happen? Kerala ministers have described it as a possible ‘man-made disaster’
Experts say infrastructure projects in the Western Ghats cannot be approached like projects in the plains. Every hill has unique geological characteristics, drainage patterns and stability conditions. (PTI Photo)
Barely two years after the catastrophic landslides that devastated Wayanad, another deadly slope failure has struck Kerala’s hill district. This time, the landslide hit the under-construction Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel project, killing six workers and triggering a massive rescue operation.
Was the Kalladi incident simply the result of exceptionally heavy rainfall, or was it a tragedy waiting to happen? Environmental experts, geologists and even Kerala ministers argue that while the rain may have been the trigger, the disaster cannot be understood without examining how construction was carried out in one of the most landslide-prone parts of the Western Ghats.
The incident has revived a question: Are development projects in ecologically fragile landscapes keeping pace with what science has long warned about?
What Happened At Kalladi?
The landslide occurred at the Anakkompoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel project after days of intense monsoon rainfall lashed Wayanad. The collapse buried workers under tonnes of mud and debris, prompting rescue teams to launch an extensive search operation.
The tunnel is part of an ambitious road connectivity project intended to improve access between Kozhikode and Wayanad. Supporters say the project will reduce travel time, ease congestion through the Thamarassery Ghat road and improve economic connectivity for the region.
However, the disaster has overshadowed those objectives. The Kerala government has temporarily halted construction and ordered investigations into the circumstances surrounding the landslide. Ministers have gone a step further, describing it as a possible “man-made disaster” and questioning whether excavated earth from the tunnel project was dumped scientifically before the onset of the monsoon.
Chief minister VD Satheesan blamed the contractors, who failed to remove the accumulated soil and mud near the construction site, despite repeated directions from the government.
“This is not a natural landslide. It is a man-made one. It occurred due to the unscientific dumping of excavated earth,” agriculture minister and Kalpetta MLA Siddique said.
Why Experts Say This Wasn’t A Surprise
For many geologists, the location of the disaster is as significant as the disaster itself. The tunnel alignment passes through one of the most landslide-prone stretches of the Western Ghats, where steep slopes, deeply weathered rock formations and heavy seasonal rainfall make the landscape inherently unstable. Hazard maps and geological assessments have repeatedly identified parts of Wayanad as highly susceptible to slope failures, particularly during intense monsoon events.
Experts have long argued that projects in such terrain require exceptional caution. Tunnel excavation alters the natural balance of hills by changing underground stress patterns, affecting drainage channels and creating fractures within rock formations. If these changes are not carefully monitored and managed, heavy rainfall can rapidly destabilise already fragile slopes.
Another major concern is the handling of excavated material. Tunnel construction generates enormous quantities of soil and rock. If this material is dumped indiscriminately on vulnerable slopes instead of being scientifically disposed of, it can significantly increase the likelihood of landslides during the monsoon.
Reports suggest authorities had raised concerns about the accumulation of excavated earth near the project site before the rains intensified. Whether those warnings were adequately addressed is now likely to form a key part of the ongoing investigations.
The larger point, experts say, is that rainfall alone rarely explains such disasters. Human intervention often determines how destructive they eventually become.
What Happened In Wayanad In 2024?
The Kalladi landslide has reopened wounds that never fully healed after the devastating 2024 Wayanad disaster.
That catastrophe, which buried entire settlements in Mundakkai and Chooralmala, was widely described as a wake-up call for development planning across the Western Ghats. Investigations highlighted the interaction between extreme rainfall, fragile terrain and increasing human disturbance of hill slopes.
The similarities between the two tragedies are difficult to ignore. Both occurred during periods of exceptionally heavy monsoon rain. Both took place in landscapes already recognised as highly vulnerable to landslides. Both have reignited concerns over how construction, land-use changes and slope modification can amplify natural hazards.
Perhaps the biggest question is whether the recommendations that followed the 2024 disaster translated into meaningful change on the ground.
Environmentalists have repeatedly argued that hazard zonation maps should guide every major infrastructure project in ecologically sensitive regions. They have also called for stricter monitoring of construction practices, scientific disposal of excavated material and stronger enforcement of environmental clearance conditions.
The latest landslide suggests that translating those recommendations into practice remains a significant challenge.
Can The Western Ghats Balance Development And Ecology?
The Kalladi tragedy reflects a broader dilemma facing Kerala. The Western Ghats are among the world’s richest biodiversity hotspots, but they are also home to rapidly expanding roads, tourism infrastructure, settlements and public works projects. Better connectivity is essential for local communities, economic development and disaster response. Yet every major intervention in these fragile hills carries ecological consequences.
The real question is whether development is being planned in a way that respects the geological limits of the landscape.
Experts say infrastructure projects in the Western Ghats cannot be approached like projects in the plains. Every hill has unique geological characteristics, drainage patterns and stability conditions. Ignoring those differences can turn engineering challenges into disaster risks.
As climate pressures intensify, that balance is becoming even more difficult to maintain.
Is Climate Change Making The Risk Worse?
Scientists are increasingly observing a shift in rainfall patterns across the Western Ghats.
Instead of receiving steady rain spread over several days, the region is witnessing more episodes of short-duration, high-intensity rainfall. Such concentrated downpours quickly saturate slopes, increasing the chances of landslides.
Climate change, however, is only part of the story. Heavy rainfall may trigger slope failures, but disturbed landscapes often determine how severe those failures become. Hillsides altered by excavation, deforestation, road cutting or poorly managed construction are significantly less resilient when extreme rain arrives.
That interaction between climate change and human-induced landscape modification is becoming a defining feature of disasters across the Western Ghats.
In other words, nature may pull the trigger, but human actions often decide how devastating the outcome will be.
Thus, the Kalladi tragedy also serves as a reminder that disasters rarely occur because of a single factor. They are often the result of multiple failures—natural, environmental and administrative—intersecting at the worst possible moment.
The Western Ghats will continue to receive heavy monsoon rain. Landslides cannot be eliminated entirely. But tragedies of this scale need not become inevitable.
About the Author
Shilpy Bisht is a News Editor at News18, where she leads the English app operations. She writes on world affairs, health, AI, career, business, and issues affecting women and children. A former print …Read More
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