- CM Vijay cancels Rs 20,000 crore Parandur airport project.
- Decision based on ecological impact, farmers' protests, displacement.
- Alternative site sought; Chennai airport expansion planned.
Parandur Airport News: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday announced that the proposed Rs 20,000 crore Parandur greenfield airport project near Chennai will be dropped.
The project, initially announced by former Chief Minister M K Stalin in August 2022 to handle 100 million passengers annually, led to over a year of protests regarding its impact on the local ecology and threats to water bodies. CM Vijay stated that his administration accords top priority to the environment and will instead build the airport at a location where the impact on agricultural land and residential areas is minimal.
Why Was The Parandur Airport Cancelled?
The primary reasons behind the cancellation of the project include:
Ecological Damage And Threat To Water Bodies: The primary factor is the significant threat to the local ecology. The proposed location is on land that contains water bodies, making it unsuitable for constructing runways.
Threat To Agricultural Livelihoods: Another key reason is the severe impact on the local agricultural community. Local residents stated that the greenfield project would harm their primary source of income, as paddy is cultivated on the proposed land.
Recalling his visit to Parandur in 2025 to listen to the grievances of residents, Vijay said, "I firmly stood with them against the airport proposed to be set up at Parandur and the surrounding 12 villages," he said. "I had expressed my support to the farmers who have been protesting against this project. Farmers are the backbone of the nation, and these people were protesting to protect their agricultural lands," he added.
Prevention Of Large-Scale Human Displacement: The proposed site would have severely impacted farmers and displaced a large number of local residents across 12 villages, Hindustan Times reported.
Emphasising that infrastructure growth must not harm communities, Vijay said, "The government will select an alternative site that minimises the damage to agricultural land and does not affect people's livelihoods."
What's Next?
To manage passenger, cargo, and industrial needs while alternative locations are reviewed, the government announced plans to expand the Chennai airport in Meenambakkam.
Meenambakkam currently handles 30 million passengers annually. Work on Passenger Terminal 3 will raise that capacity to 35 million, and a planned Terminal 5, along with new roads and flyovers, will bring total handling capacity to 55 million passengers a year.
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Vijay said he held consultations with officials and domain experts regarding the new airport. "A few suitable alternative sites have been selected for the new airport without impacting agricultural lands and residences."
(With Inputs From PTI)