Tamil Nadu has moved quickly to identify a new location for Chennai’s second airport, with the state government shortlisting two sites just days after scrapping the controversial Parandur greenfield airport project.
The TVK-led government has identified Manellore and Cheyyur as potential sites for the proposed airport, India Today reported.
The two locations were shortlisted within a week and have been recommended to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for feasibility studies, the report said.
The proposed airport is intended to cater to the Chennai Metropolitan Area. Manellore is around 60 km from Chennai, while Cheyyur is approximately 100 km from the city.
Why Parandur was dropped
The government had earlier announced that it would drop the Parandur project and look for an alternative site, citing concerns over water bodies, wetlands, flooding and local opposition.
{{/usCountry}}The government had earlier announced that it would drop the Parandur project and look for an alternative site, citing concerns over water bodies, wetlands, flooding and local opposition.
{{/usCountry}}Defending the decision in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday, Energy Resources and Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar accused the previous DMK government of pursuing land acquisition without an environmental impact assessment and the necessary approvals.
Kumar disputed the DMK's claim that 90 per cent of the project had been completed. He said the proposed airport required 5,846 acres, including 3,774 acres of private patta land, of which 2,681 acres was fertile agricultural land.
Of the 1,972 acres of government land, 1,558 acres consisted of water bodies and canals, he said. Only around 1,802 acres, or 48 per cent of the required land, had been acquired so far.
Land acquisition had not begun in several villages, including Ekanapuram, Karai, Thandalam and Siruvalur, the minister said.
Also Read: Tamil Nadu CM Vijay drops Parandur airport plan, sparks political slugfest
The government also maintained that the presence of water bodies had contributed to delays in the project during the previous AIADMK regime.
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay had earlier said nearly 55 per cent of the land earmarked for the Parandur airport consisted of water bodies and wetlands, making runway operations unsafe and increasing the risk of severe flooding.
Vijay said the government was not against development but would pursue an alternative location for Chennai's second airport that would be technically feasible and face no public opposition.
Opposition attacks decision
The Parandur project, initiated by the previous DMK government in 2022 in Kancheepuram district, was estimated to cost ₹27,400 crore. Farmers, landowners and villagers, particularly from Ekanapuram, had led prolonged protests against the project, with environmental groups also opposing it.
The government's decision to abandon the project triggered criticism from the Opposition DMK, which argued that relocating the airport would cause a major economic setback.
During the Assembly debate, former Chief Minister and AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami questioned what would happen to the land already acquired for Parandur. He asked whether the land would be returned to its original owners and whether compensation already paid would be recovered.
Meanwhile, Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna alleged that the Parandur project involved a major real estate scam and said the TVK government was committed to fighting corruption.
(With PTI inputs)