Now Reading: Tamil Nadu halts Parandur airport project over wetland concerns
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Tamil Nadu halts Parandur airport project over wetland concerns
The Tamil Nadu government has stopped work on Chennai's proposed second airport at Parandur after the Airports Authority of India flagged wetland encroachment and runway feasibility issues. Chief Minister Vijay said the…
The Tamil Nadu government has stopped work on Chennai's proposed second airport at Parandur after the Airports Authority of India flagged wetland encroachment and runway feasibility issues. Chief Minister Vijay said the state would search for an alternative site that minimises damage to agricultural land, citing his commitment to protect farmers.
Planned over 5,746 hectares with an estimated cost of Rs 27,400 crore, the airport was meant to decongest Chennai's existing facility and handle rising aviation and cargo traffic. The decision has drawn sharp reactions. BJP state president K Annamalai accused the government of pushing Tamil Nadu's development back by a decade, while former chief minister MK Stalin criticised the move.
No new site has been identified yet. The state government is expected to announce a shortlist of alternative locations within six months.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Tamil Nadu's struggle to site a second airport for Chennai dates back two decades, with earlier proposals for Sriperumbudur and Cheyyar dropped over land acquisition hurdles. The Parandur site was identified in 2022 by the previous DMK government, which conducted feasibility studies before the AIADMK-led government took office. Under the 2006 Airport Authority of India Act, any airport site must clear statutory environmental and wetland assessments before construction can begin. The state now faces a stretched timeline: Chennai's existing airport handled over 22 million passengers in 2023-24, nearing its rated capacity of 24 million, while cargo volumes continue to grow at 8-10 per cent annually. A fresh site search and new environmental clearances could push the airport's operational date past 2035. The state cabinet's next decision on shortlisted alternative sites, due within six months, will determine whether the project slips further.
Source: businesstoday.in
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
