Archive · 24 Aug 2026
Tamil Nadu Drops Parandur Airport Plan Amid Protests
Tamil Nadu decided not to build the planned airport at Parandur after protests against the project.
Chief Minister Joseph Vijay also announced free cooking-gas cylinders for families and wider free bus travel for women.
In Maharashtra, a fire in a hospital room killed three premature babies.
Other children were rescued, and the state ordered an investigation and financial help for the victims’ families.
A chlorine gas leak in Nagpur made about 40 people sick.
Officials sent rescue teams and took the affected people to hospitals.
Investigators also searched locations linked to an alleged tax-credit fraud case.
Police separately investigated several other serious incidents reported across India.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay announced that the proposed Parandur airport project would be dropped.
The state will provide three free cooking-gas cylinders to every eligible family and expand free bus travel for women to express and deluxe services.
Three premature newborns died in a fire at Amravati District Women’s Hospital; 36 other children were rescued unharmed.
A chlorine leak at a Nagpur water-treatment plant affected about 40 people, who were taken to hospitals.
The Enforcement Directorate searched nine premises in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana in a bogus GST-input-credit case.
- Who
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay announced the airport decision; Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered an inquiry into the Amravati hospital fire.
- What
- The Parandur airport project was dropped, while several other incidents—including a hospital fire, chlorine leak and financial-crime searches—were reported.
- When
- The updates were reported on August 24, 2026; the Amravati fire occurred around 3:30 a.m. that Monday.
- Where
- The airport decision concerns Parandur in Tamil Nadu. Other incidents occurred in Amravati and Nagpur in Maharashtra, and searches were conducted in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana.
- Why
- The airport project was dropped amid protests. The preliminary cause of the Amravati fire was identified as a technical fault in a thermal unit.
Project Critics and Investigators
Government and Official Responses
Parandur airport
Project Critics and Investigators
Protests opposed the proposed airport project, and the project was ultimately dropped.
Government and Official Responses
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay announced that the state would end its plans for the Parandur airport.
Claim about Nijjar killing
Project Critics and Investigators
Goldy Brar claimed in leaked audio that he and associates killed Hardeep Singh Nijjar, alleging that Nijjar was using minors to push drugs.
Government and Official Responses
The audio had not been independently authenticated, so the claim remained unverified.
- Airport decision
- Tamil Nadu announced that the proposed Parandur airport project would be dropped.
- Gas-cylinder assistance
- The Tamil Nadu government announced three free cooking-gas cylinders for every family, with the amount to be credited to beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
- Women’s bus travel
- Free travel for women on state-run buses will be expanded to express and deluxe services.
- Amravati hospital fire
- Three premature newborns died after a fire in one NICU room at the government-run Amravati District Women’s Hospital.
- Rescue and compensation
- Thirty-six children were rescued unharmed, and Maharashtra announced Rs 5 lakh for each deceased child’s family.
- Nagpur chlorine leak
- About 40 plant workers and nearby residents were affected and hospitalised after a chlorine leak at a water-treatment plant.
- Enforcement Directorate searches
- The Enforcement Directorate searched nine premises in Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad and Faridabad over alleged fraudulent input-tax-credit transactions.