As the central government is expected to approve the Parandur greenfield airport, local residents marked the 900th day of their protest on Friday, expressing concerns that the project would jeopardize their livelihoods.
The Parandur Green Airport Project Protest Group, along with the Ekanapuram Village Residents and Farmers Welfare Federation, implored both state and central authorities to abandon the project, which is located 70 km from Chennai.
Each evening, a handful of villagers participate in the protests. These demonstrations have been ongoing at various sites since the project was initially announced by Chief Minister MK Stalin in August 2022.
In a memorandum, the Federation’s Secretary, G. Subramanian, stated that the project would impact 13 villages, including Ekanapuram, Nelvoy, Valathur, Ediayarpakkam, Madapuram, and Akkammapuram—all located near Parandur. He pointed out numerous inconsistencies in the data provided by the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (Tidco), the central government, and the respective Government Orders.
Subramanian highlighted contradictions within the data outlined in Tidco’s study report, the detailed information from the site permit issued by the central authorities, and the statistics shared in the decree and environmental permit.
On Friday, the villagers attempted to march to Chennai to demonstrate at the memorial of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi but were reportedly intercepted and arrested along the way, according to a federation member.
The ambitious ₹20,000 crore project encompasses 5,746 acres across 20 villages and is slated for completion before 2030. In September 2024, the state government issued land acquisition notices for a total of 4,445 acres in Ekanapuram.
Earlier in August 2024, the central government granted site clearance approval to the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO) for the development of the greenfield airport in Parandur.
This site clearance was granted based on recommendations from a Steering Committee that included representatives from various stakeholder ministries and organizations, such as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and safety regulators.
The proposed airport in Parandur is intended to be the second airport serving the Chennai area, with an anticipated capacity to handle 100 million passengers annually. The project will feature two runways, terminal buildings, taxiways, an apron, and a cargo terminal.
The existing Chennai airport currently accommodates over 20 million passengers each year and is undergoing modernization, enabling it to handle 35 million passengers annually for the following seven years. Additionally, the Ministry of Defence has granted a No Objection for the site clearance.
