New Delhi: Fulfilling a pre-election promise, Tamil Nadu’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government has shelved the proposed greenfield airport at Parandur in Kancheepuram and will instead identify an alternative site for Chennai’s much-needed second airport.
The Minister for Energy Resources and Law, C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar, said on Thursday that while the government strongly supports development and infrastructure growth, it cannot allow the destruction of vital waterbodies and highly productive agricultural land that yields crops three times a year.
“Our stand against the airport at Parandur remains firm. Chief Minister Vijay’s first protest was launched against this project. In consultation with the CM, we will explore an alternative location,” the minister told the media.
The Parandur Greenfield Airport project was conceived to ease severe congestion at Chennai International Airport, which handles over 450 flights daily. In 2022, after feasibility studies, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) shortlisted Parandur and Pannur as potential sites. The DMK government selected Parandur, about 70 km from Chennai, for a massive facility spanning 5,746 acre.
However, the project faced sustained opposition from local communities, environmentalists, and political groups, particularly the TVK. Residents of Ekanapuram and surrounding villages protested for over 900 days.
The protesters highlighted concerns over the displacement of over 1,000 families and were also supported by TVK chief Vijay, who took his first field visit to Parandur and addressed the protesters who demanded that the project be shelved.
The farmers raised issues regarding the loss of fertile agricultural land and livelihoods. Furthermore, they warned of the increased flood risk in Chennai due to the destruction of natural water retention areas.
Vijay had described the project as “anti-people” and criticised alleged hidden benefits for the previous regime. The TVK backed the agitation legally and politically.
The government has shelved the project but has yet to discuss the land already acquired, compensation paid and the possibility of reversing the acquisition, though the focus has shifted to finding a viable alternative location in consultation with experts and officials.
The project was estimated to cost around Rs 27,400 crore and included plans for significant connectivity infrastructure, such as metro extensions. To accelerate development, the previous government granted it “special project” status under the Tamil Nadu Land Consolidation for Special Projects Act, 2023, enabling faster land acquisition.
As of June, approximately 1,700 acre of private land had been acquired from 12 villages in Sriperumbudur and Kancheepuram taluks, with compensation disbursed to over 90 percent of affected landowners. The total land requirement included both private and government holdings across various departments.
The announcement was welcomed by protesters and activists who supported the TVK.
However, industry bodies like the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) have renewed calls for a second airport, warning of economic setbacks and potential diversion of investments to cities like Bengaluru and Hyderabad if infrastructure lags.
At an event earlier this month, P. Ravichandran, chairperson, CII Southern Region and president of Danfoss India, said that a second airport is important for Tamil Nadu from an industry perspective and that Tamil Nadu deserves a bigger and better airport, even as getting efficiency on the first is also important.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)