CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has adjourned to January 5 the hearing of a public interest litigation opposing the acquisition of a lake in Ekanapuram village for the proposed Parandur airport project.
The State government is taking steps to establish a greenfield airport at Parandur in Sriperumbudur taluk of Kancheepuram district, including acquiring about 5,747 acres of land in the area.
G Subramaniyan, a resident of Ekanapuram, filed a PIL before the High Court opposing the acquisition of the Vaileri lake at Ekanapuram for the construction of the airport.
The petitioner alleged that the 5,747 acres proposed to be acquired for the airport includes waterbodies spread across a total of 576 acres. Though the State government has acknowledged this, it has failed to identify an alternative site for the airport, he contended, and sought a stay on the government order granting permission to establish the airport on the lake and has also prayed for the quashing of the order.
After hearing the petition, a division bench comprising Chief Justice MM Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan adjourned the matter to January 5.