Wayanad landslip: Expert panel to submit report on debris removal

The Kerala government on Friday constituted a three-member expert committee to visit Wayanad tunnel and township projects and submit a report on the removal of the debris accumulated there due to a landslide. Seven bodies have been recovered from the site of the Wayanad landslide that occurred on July 7. The decision to constitute the expert panel was taken in a meeting held by Chief Minister V D Satheesan with Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and Public Works Minister P K Basheer, a statement issued by the CM's office said.The committee members will include Kozhikode NIT professor Santhosh G Thambi, environmental directorate engineer Jude Emmanuel, and a representative from National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS). The govt has instructed the committee to visit the site and provide an urgent report. Wayanad district collector has been assigned to ensure all necessary assistance to the committee.

The Government of Keralam has appointed a 3 member expert committee to submit a report on the safe removal of soil accumulated from the construction of the Wayanad Kalladi Tunnel project. The decision was taken during a high level meeting between the Chief Minister, Home…

— V D Satheesan (@vdsatheesan) July 10, 2026

Earlier in the day, the Kerala High Court directed the state government to immediately disburse ex gratia compensation to the victims and bear the hospitalisation and treatment expenses of the injured until their discharge. The court also ordered the authorities to hand over the bodies of the deceased to their families without delay.
The incident has sparked outrage among environmental groups, which alleged that the tunnel project was undertaken without adequate scientific evaluation despite repeated warnings. A geotechnical assessment of the project site had cautioned about the possibility of large-scale slope failure due to the progressive weakening of the hillside.