1 week ago
Vijay Drops Parandur Airport Plan Amid Growth Concerns
Tamil Nadu has decided not to build Chennai’s second airport at Parandur.
The government says it still wants a second airport, but it wants a place that would displace fewer people and harm less farmland.
Farmers and villagers had protested because homes, fields, wetlands and water bodies could be affected.
The earlier government chose Parandur in 2022 after studying four possible locations.
Supporters of Parandur say a new airport is important for Chennai’s growing industries, cargo and passengers.
They also say cancelling the project could waste years of planning and delay jobs and investment.
As a temporary step, the government plans to expand the existing airport at Meenambakkam.
A proposed Terminal 5 could eventually help the airport handle 55 million passengers each year.
Officials must now study alternative sites and obtain the necessary approvals.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay said the proposed Parandur airport had been dropped and an alternative site would be studied.
Parandur was selected in 2022 from four shortlisted locations after central and Airports Authority of India clearances.
Residents and farmers protested that the project would affect farmland, villages, wetlands and water bodies despite compensation and resettlement offers.
Opposition leaders and industry groups warned that scrapping Parandur could delay Chennai’s aviation expansion, investment and job creation.
The government plans to expand Meenambakkam airport with Terminal 5, eventually raising annual capacity from a projected 35 million to 55 million passengers.
- Who
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced the decision; the previous M K Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government selected Parandur.
- What
- The Parandur second-airport project has been dropped, while the government will identify another site and expand Chennai’s existing airport.
- Where
- The proposed site was at Parandur in Kancheepuram district, about 60–68.5 kilometres from Chennai.
- When
- The announcement was made in the state Assembly on Monday, August 24; Parandur was selected in August 2022.
- Why
- Vijay said the airport should avoid large-scale impacts on farmers and the displacement of many residential settlements; critics said cancellation could hurt Tamil Nadu’s growth.
Parandur Supporters and Industry Groups
Vijay Government and Project Opponents
Need for a second airport
Parandur Supporters and Industry Groups
The DMK, opposition politicians and industry representatives say Chennai needs a second airport to handle rising passenger and cargo demand, support manufacturing and services, and protect future investment and jobs.
Vijay Government and Project Opponents
The Vijay government agrees that Chennai needs another airport but says it should not be built at Parandur if the project would significantly affect farmers or displace residents.
Economic consequences of cancellation
Parandur Supporters and Industry Groups
M K Stalin, TRB Rajaa and Narayanan Thirupathy called the decision a setback that could waste years of planning, delay the airport and weaken Tamil Nadu’s competitiveness against neighbouring states.
Vijay Government and Project Opponents
The government says choosing a less damaging location is necessary, while expansion of Meenambakkam airport can provide additional capacity during the search for a replacement site.
Land and environmental impact
Parandur Supporters and Industry Groups
The previous government said Parandur was selected after technical evaluation of alternatives and offered compensation and resettlement to affected families.
Vijay Government and Project Opponents
Farmers, villagers and environmental activists said the project threatened fertile farmland, homes, wetlands and water bodies, with entire villages potentially requiring relocation.
Readiness of the Parandur project
Parandur Supporters and Industry Groups
Critics said approvals, preparatory work and some land acquisition had already advanced; one account cited 1,100–1,700 acres acquired and approximately Rs 680–856 crore paid in compensation.
Vijay Government and Project Opponents
The Vijay government maintains that technical studies of alternative sites can identify a location better suited to protecting residents and agricultural land.
Key facts
- Proposed Parandur area
- 5,746 acres across 13 villages
- Reported project cost
- One source reported Rs 29,144 crore; another cited Rs 27,400 crore
- Original design
- A four-phase greenfield airport with an air freight village, road projects and a proposed Metro connection
- Compensation offer
- The state offered 3.5 times the land’s market value and resettlement houses for displaced families
- Existing airport expansion
- Terminal 3 work was expected to raise annual capacity to 35 million passengers; proposed Terminal 5 would add 20 million more
- Eventual stated capacity
- The existing Chennai airport could reach 55 million passengers annually after Terminal 5
- Alternative-site requirement
- Potential locations must meet connectivity, land-acquisition, environmental-approval and displacement requirements
Quotes
Purushothaman Ravichandran
Chairman of the CII Southern region
“Regarding the shift away from Parandur, the government must swiftly identify and finalise an alternative site through technical feasibility studies. Execution at the chosen alternative site must be fast-tracked with dedicated focus to prevent project delays and ensure Chennai does not lose its competitive edge to neighboring industrial hubs”
wionews.com
“If there is genuinely no turning back, then the so-called alternative site must be identified within this year at the latest. Chennai and Tamil Nadu MUST have a new world-class international airport within the next three years”
wionews.com
Sources
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