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Tunnel beneath Western Ghats in Kerala
Why is it in News?
- Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan “launched” a tunnel road project that would connect Kozhikode with Wayanad.
Details:
- What does launch mean?
(1) The launch actually meant the beginning of a survey.
(2) It will be followed by steps such as technical sanction, environmental impact assessment report, and seeking mandatory clearance from various agencies including the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- What is this Kozhikode-Wayanad tunnel road?
(1) The 7-km tunnel is being described as the third-longest in the country.
(2) It is part of an 8-km road cutting through sensitive forests and hills of the Western Ghats.
(3) At present, Wayanad plateau is linked to the rest of Kerala via four roads, all with hilly sections.
(4) Present Thamarassery Ghat Road is congested and gets blocked by landslides during heavy monsoon.
(5) Tunnel will connect Wayanad with Kozikode.
Ecology of the region:
(1) It is a highly sensitive patch comprising evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, marsh lands and shola tracts.
(2) This region is part of an elephant corridor spread between Wayanad and Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu.
(3) Two major rivers, Chaliyar and Kabani that flows to Karnataka, originate from these hills in Wayanad.
(4) The region is known for torrential rain during monsoon, with landslides.
- Environmental clearance conditions:
(1) The Forest Act would apply not only to surface area, but the entire underground area beneath the trees.
(2) For tunnel projects, conditions relating to underground mining would be applicable.
(3) As the proposed tunnel is 7 km long, it will require emergency exit points and air ventilation wells among other measures, which would impact the forest further.