TN's Parandur Airport Declared 'Special Project', Sparks Eco-Fears

The legislation enabling the move was introduced in the State Assembly by Revenue Minister Sattur Ramachandran on April 21, 2023, and was passed on the same day through a voice vote without discussion.

The detailed rules for implementing the Act were subsequently notified on October 18, 2024. The Act was framed to address difficulties in land acquisition for large-scale infrastructure projects when water bodies such as lakes, ponds, canals, and streams fall within the proposed project area.

It allows the government to consolidate contiguous land parcels of at least 100 hectares that contain such water bodies and allocate them for commercial, industrial, or infrastructure ventures classified as 'Special Projects'.

Once a project receives this designation, the government appoints a five-member expert committee consisting of four government officials and one government-nominated environmental expert.

The committee conducts public consultations and prepares a draft land consolidation plan. This plan is then reviewed by the government before final approval is issued through a notification in the government gazette.

However, environmentalists and activists argue that the framework is skewed towards facilitating project approvals and fails to adequately safeguard ecological systems.

The proposed Parandur Airport project spans more than 2,172 hectares across 13 villages and includes wetlands, agricultural fields, and water bodies.

Environmental assessments cited by activists indicate that about 64 per cent of the land comprises wet and dry agricultural areas, while nearly 27 per cent consists of lakes, ponds, and pools.

The site reportedly contains around 40 water sources with a combined storage capacity of approximately nine million cubic feet, of which 34 lie within or close to the proposed airport boundary.

Experts warn that large-scale construction in the region could severely disrupt natural drainage networks, groundwater recharge systems, and flood mitigation mechanisms.

The area also includes a natural drainage channel linking the Kesavaram dam with the Cooum River, as well as a section of the 42-kilometre-long Kamban Canal that carries water from the Palar dam to Sriperumbudur Lake.

Environmental organisation Poovulagin Nanbargal has urged the State government to reconsider the project, citing climate change risks and potential damage to water ecosystems.

It has also demanded that the Land Consolidation Act be repealed. Residents of Parandur and neighbouring Ekanapuram have continued protests against the project, warning that it could displace villages and destroy fertile farmland.

"This region acts as a flood buffer for Chennai. We will continue to oppose any move that destroys our land and water bodies," a resident of Ekanapuram said.

- IANS