The Public Works Department (PWD) of Karnataka has accelerated a four-lane tunnel project of ₹2,080-crore to shorten the distance between Kozhikode in Kerala and Wayanad in Karnataka in the Western Ghat region.
The department approached the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) to seek faster clearance of the 8km-long mega tunnel road project. Of the 54.62 hectares of geographic area to be acquired by the project, 33.72 hectares belong to the forest area.
The new interconnection is expected to bring opportunities for the development of industry, agriculture and tourism for the entire Malabar region. The tunnel is just 2km away from Puthumala, which had witnessed a series of landslides in 2019.
News Source : NBM&CW