Priyanka Tiwari
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Chennai is one of the few metropolises in India that boast of having an airport within the city, making it incredibly convenient for frequent travelers. However, for a city that sees a steadily increasing air traffic volume, the boundaries of additional runways and terminals is almost always gated by a limit on available space. Expansion is out of the question since there’s no land available other than residential housing estates, which would need to be razed to the ground. Unquestionably, the solution to relocating thousands of families without demolishing their homes had to result in constructng a second international airport to cater to Chennai.
The concept appeared back in 1998 when it was thought that the current airport would become saturated beyond functionality by 2035. Though, after identifying three alternative new locations over 27 years, opposition from environmentalists and landowners proved too strong for the Tamil Nadu government to deal with.
"There is optimism this time with the Union Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu stating recently in a parliamentary meeting that the new airport in Parandur would in-principle approval grant from the Union government within two weeks. Unfortunately, in the last few months, protests against land acquisition have grown stronger,” said block Congress president Venkata Subbarayudu. Villagers have been protesting non-stop for the last 950 days ever since Parandur was opted as the site for the greenbelt airport project three years ago.
The feasibility analysis was carried out by the authorities and a report was prepared by the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO) for the state government. However, it is yet to be made public. This too has contributed to the public suspicion.In the year 1998, with Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, the state government decided upon an area south of the present airport of Meenambakkam to be implemented under the Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) model. The center approved the ₹2,000 crore project in 1999. In the subsequent years, the government had also identified land measuring 1457.5 acres to the north of the existing airport. However, the acquiring of land has been a contentious issue for the government.The Karunanidhi government visualised a massive 4820 acre airport with four runways in Sriperumbudur which was proposed in the year 2007. The plans never materialised.MK Stalin’s government reinvigorated plans for the new airport as well as identifying the land three years ago. The state government earmarked regions of Padalam, Thiruporur, Pannur and Parandur in Kanchipuram district for the greenfield airport project in 2022.
The Parandur and Pannur locations had already been selected by the AAI. In Parandur, the government of Tamil Nadu selected 13 villages which provide a combined area of 4970 acres. It is expected that the project will serve 100 million passengers. The project is estimated to cost crores and is planned to be executed in four stages. At the same time, the Government also put forward a proposal to extend the Metro Orange Line from Poonamallee to Parandur for an estimated cost of rupees 107.12 billion. The extension of the current airport line, which connects Poonamallee to the current airport, is proposed by the Chennai Metro Railway Limited so as to link the two airports.
The greenfield airport that will be located in Parandur, 70 km from Chennai, will be built on agriculturally prosperous lands and it will contain three terminals along with two runways. Not just the people from the 13 villages are worried about having to relocate while losing their means of income, environmentalists are also skeptical about the flooding issues that can occur due to over 26 percent of the project being based on wetlands. In addition to this, many experts are also stating that the risk to an already flood sensitive Chennai will only increase. At the site in Parandur, the Kamban canal and a stream flowing from Ekanapuram village join while the Kosasthalaiyar river which flows from North Chennai and ends at the Bay of Bengal in Ennore Creek. The concern is also that the project will submerge over 13 villages as there will be more infrastructural expansion such as construction of hotels after the new airport is finished.
Immediately after the announcement was made for the construction of Parandur airport, locals especially from Ekanapuram commenced the protests, as their village would face the most negative impacts. With the endorsement of several political factions, the protests have become more intense from that point onwards.
The state government formed a committee following the protests, and a hydrogeological report was submitted in March of last year which remains undisclosed by the government. It is reported that the report evaluated multiple scenarios and problems that would arise with the airport project and provided countermeasures along with solutions to the public's issues.
One of the recommendations included constructing cross drainage structures to allow natural rivers to flow through, as well as using Nelvoy Eri, which is the largest waterbody in the southern region, to harvest rainwater, and building culverts and other measures to support natural drainage. The primary goal was to preserve as many waterbodies as possible, although retention of some is necessary.
The project is still waiting for the environmental clearance and is undergoing various surveys required by the Environment Forest and Climate Change Ministry for the vast expanse of wetlands. Provided the clearance is received by early next year, the construction of terminals would begin immediately after land acquisition is completed. The government has been in the process of acquiring land for a year and aims to have the first phase of construction which includes the terminals, finished by 2028.
While these protests are turning increasingly violent, the Tamil Nadu government still feels the pressure of assuring the villagers that the project is for the benfit of everyone. It's guaranteed that all people's interests would be handled. However, for those who depend on their land for income, the idea of losing their land is nothing short of apocalyptic.
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