‘Man-Made Disaster’: Kerala Ministers Blame Human Activity for Wayanad Landslide That Killed 5

Two Kerala ministers have blamed “unscientific dumping” of excavated soil for the deadly landslide in Wayanad.

That claimed five lives on Tuesday, describing the tragedy as a “man-made disaster” and alleging that safety directives issued to the construction company were ignored.

The landslide struck near an under-construction tunnel project after heavy rainfall lashed the area. Five people were killed and six others were injured, while rescue teams, including personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), continued search operations to determine whether anyone remained trapped beneath the debris. Wayanad received around 256 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours.

MINISTERS BLAME DEBRIS DUMPING

Kerala Agriculture Minister T Siddique alleged that mud excavated from the tunnel project had been dumped without adequate safety measures, despite repeated instructions from authorities to clear the site.

“The government is investigating why mud taken out of the tunnel project was dumped there without any safety measures. Directions had been issued to remove it, but they were not followed,” Siddique said.

He also claimed that the excavated soil had been similarly dumped near the Wayanad Township project, where houses are being built for survivors of the devastating 2024 landslides.

According to Siddique, local residents had repeatedly complained about water drainage issues linked to the project, while eight families living near the construction site were supposed to be relocated as a precaution.

“This was not a natural landslide but a man-made one caused by the mud dumped after tunnel excavation,” he said.

HOME MINISTER ECHOES CHARGE

Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala backed Siddique’s assessment, saying the tragedy could have been prevented if the contractor had complied with district administration orders to remove the excavated earth.

“It is certainly a man-made disaster. If the company had removed the dumped earth, this incident would not have occurred. This is an ecologically sensitive area prone to natural disasters. When a tunnel project is undertaken in such a place, the excavated earth should be removed without delay,” Chennithala said.

COMPANY REJECTS ALLEGATIONS

Infrastructure firm Dilip Buildcon, which is executing the project, denied that any technical failure or negligence on its part caused the landslide.

The company said the tunnel project complies with all approved engineering, environmental and safety standards, and ruled out any construction-related lapse behind the incident.

CHIEF MINISTER: DIRECTIONS WERE IGNORED

Chief Minister VD Satheesan said contractors had been instructed well in advance by Public Works Department Minister PK Basheer and the district collector to clear the accumulated debris from the site.

“However, the contractors did not abide by the directions,” the Chief Minister told reporters after reviewing the situation with officials of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) in Thiruvananthapuram.

Videos from the site captured the moment a massive mound of mud collapsed following heavy rain, bringing down trees and barricades near the construction zone, triggering the fatal landslide.