TN govt gives nod for acquiring 1,527 ha of patta land for greenfield airport

Chennai, Nov 25 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu government has cleared the decks to acquire 1,527.32 hectares (3,774.01 acres) of patta lands besides the alienation of 798.12 hectares (1,972.12 acres) of government lands in Parandur and 19 other villages in Kancheepuram district for setting up a greenfield airport for Chennai in Parandur.

The administrative sanction for the special land acquisition and financial sanction orders were met with protests by a section of the affected villagers on Saturday.

Villagers and activists descended upon the Kancheepuram collectorate and staged a protest urging the state government to drop its move to acquire their lands.

The lands for the second airport in the metro would be acquired under the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Lands for Industrial Purposes Act, 1997, in Kancheepuram and Sriperumbudur Taluks in favour of TIDCO for setting up the greenfield airport at Parandur.

Totally, about 2,325.44 hectares (5,746.18 acres) of land including 1,527.32 hectares (3,774.01 acres) of patta land and 798.12 hectares (1,972.17 acres) of government lands to be alienated are required for the project.

The state government has proposed to set up a greenfield international airport to augment airport infrastructure and facilities to cater to the ever-growing air connectivity needs of passenger transportation and cargo movement to and from the state.

"It is a strategic imperative to have robust air connectivity for a wide range of economic reasons for industrial growth, tourism, healthcare, logistics, and e-commerce," the order issued recently said.

The air passenger traffic of Chennai region is expected to reach 50 million by 2037 and grow further, the 21-page order said. As per the traffic growth forecast, Chennai International Airport will reach its saturation by 2028, and beyond 2028 the air passenger traffic demands of the Chennai metropolitan area will be unfulfilled without the operation of a new airport expansion of the existing airport, it said.

Moreover, adequate and efficient cargo transportation and handling capacity are critically essential for the several high-tech industries that Tamil Nadu presently has and intends to attract, it added.

The proposed new greenfield airport would be beneficial as it would see increased and improved facilities to handle domestic and international passengers and cargo, catalytic effect on economic growth by increased tourists and business travel, and boost the progress of hospitality.

Quoting a study by the Airport Authority of India, the order said the proposed site in Parandur is more feasible for the development of a greenfield airport due to the availability of airspace and relatively free of natural obstructions. As per the findings of the feasibility study carried out by AAI and detailed analysis by TIDCO the Parandur site is the most suitable for the development of a greenfield airport as it is nearer to the upcoming Chennai-Bengaluru expressway.

Further, the number of families to be displaced is lesser, it said. PTI