The Tamil Nadu government has given the nod for acquiring 3,774.01 acres of patta land and alienating 1,972.12 acres of government land in Parandur and 19 other villages in Kancheepuram district for setting up a greenfield airport for Chennai. The government order for the special land acquisition and financial sanction has been issued.

Villagers protest against the airport project

The people who are likely to be displaced by the project have strongly opposed the move and held protests. Supported by environment activists, they have urged the state government to drop its plan to acquire their patta lands. For over a year, people in villages such as Ekanapuram have been holding daily protests against the land acquisition for the airport project, which is expected to cost around Rs 20,000 crore.

feasibility and benefits

The state government has proposed to set up a greenfield international airport to cater to the ever-growing air connectivity needs of passenger transportation and cargo movement to and from the state. The airport will augment the airport infrastructure and facilities, and boost the economic growth, tourism, healthcare, logistics, and e-commerce sectors.

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has conducted a feasibility study and found that the Parandur site is more suitable for the development of a greenfield airport. The site has the availability of airspace and relatively free of natural obstructions. It is also nearer to the upcoming Chennai-Bengaluru expressway. Further, the number of families to be displaced is lesser. The new airport will require a total of 5,746.18 acres of land, including the patta and government lands. The project will be executed by TIDCO, a state-run corporation.

Air traffic to increase in future

The air passenger traffic of Chennai region is expected to reach 50 million by 2037 and grow further. The existing Chennai International Airport will reach its saturation by 2028, and a new airport is needed to meet the demand. Moreover, the new airport will provide efficient cargo transportation and handling capacity for the high-tech industries that Tamil Nadu has and intends to attract.

(With inputs from PTI)