CHENNAI: Nearly seven years after a small farming village in Kancheepuram launched an indefinite protest against the proposed greenfield airport at Parandur, the project is just a formal announcement away from shutdown, with the C Joseph Vijay-led TVK government deciding against pursuing the airport at the site and exploring alternative locations for Chennai's second airport.
Highly placed sources told DT Next that the government has internally resolved not to proceed with the Rs 27,400-crore project at Parandur and has initiated discussions on alternative development plans for the land already acquired.
"There is a need for a second airport for Chennai. But it is not going to be implemented in Parandur. Necessary instructions have already been issued to the authorities. Alternative sites are being examined," a highly placed source told DT Next.
The decision, if formally notified, would bring the curtains down on one of Tamil Nadu's longest-running land acquisition disputes and mark a major policy reversal on a project that had received approvals at multiple levels of government.
The resistance began on December 16, 2019, when residents of Ekanapuram village launched an indefinite agitation against the airport proposal. Located near Parandur in the Sriperumbudur region, Ekanapuram soon became the epicentre of the movement because the original acquisition plan envisaged taking over virtually the entire village.
Of the 1,005 houses identified within the project area, 605 were located in Ekanapuram alone. Protest leaders said nearly 920 acres in the village had been marked for acquisition, raising fears that the settlement itself would cease to exist.
The proposed airport required acquisition of 5,746 hectares spread across 13 villages, including residential areas, agricultural lands, wetlands and water bodies. The State government subsequently initiated acquisition proceedings under the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purposes Act and earmarked Rs 1,822.45 crore towards compensation.
For years, everything was uncertain. Now people are thinking about improving their livelihoods. We want the govt to focus on roads, drinking water facilities— Muneeswari, a resident
A dedicated administrative machinery comprising special district revenue officers, special tahsildars, deputy tahsildars and other officials were deployed to implement the project. The Centre also granted policy-level approval, while agencies including the Ministry of Defence, Department of Economic Affairs, Airports Economic Regulatory Authority, India Meteorological Department, NITI Aayog, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Home Affairs extended preliminary clearances.
While the project gathered administrative momentum, opposition on the ground intensified.
Following the 2021 Assembly election, when the previous DMK government accelerated acquisition activities, farmers and villagers widened their agitation, arguing that the project would destroy fertile agricultural land, affect water resources and displace long-established communities.
Over the years, villagers organised several other forms of agitations including hunger strikes, tonsuring, demonstrations and begging protests. According to protest organisers, more than 17 criminal cases were registered against participants over the course of the movement.
The issue acquired political significance when TVK president Vijay visited the protest site on January 20, 2025.
"Bring the airport to a place where the impact on agriculture is minimal. Development is necessary for people's progress. But destruction in the name of development affects people deeply. I am not saying there should be no airport. I am saying it should not come up here," Vijay had said while addressing farmers.
He had also urged the government to abandon a project that, according to protesters, would affect more than a dozen water bodies and alter the ecological balance of the region.
For many villagers, the present shift in the government’s stand is a fulfilment of that assurance.
When DT Next visited Ekanapuram, Parandur and neighbouring villages, residents said the atmosphere has changed significantly since the TVK government has come to power.
The police presence that once accompanied every phase of the agitation was absent. Protest sites that had witnessed years of demonstrations appeared calm, with villagers returning to their daily routines.
G Subramanian, president of the Ekanapuram Village People and Farmers Welfare Federation, said villagers have received repeated assurances that the airport proposal would not proceed.
"We have been informed there will be no airport in our area. Senior ministers and government officials have conveyed there will be no further developments related to the project. We are hopeful that the government will formally announce its decision soon," he said.
According to him, the prolonged uncertainty had imposed significant social and economic costs on local communities.
"Registration restrictions imposed for land acquisition purposes created serious difficulties. People could not freely transact their lands, obtain loans or use their properties for personal requirements. Development works in the villages were also affected. We can truly return to normalcy only after the government formally cancels the project and removes all restrictions," he said.
Another resident, Muneeswari, said villagers were now focusing on rebuilding their lives.
"For years, everything was uncertain. Now people are thinking about rebuilding houses, educating their children and improving their livelihoods. We want the government to focus on roads, drinking water facilities and other basic infrastructure," she said.
The sense of optimism among villagers is matched by the signs of administrative inactivity on the ground.
Officials attached to the special district revenue office confirmed that acquisition-related activities have largely remained frozen since May this year.
"All fresh land acquisitions have been stopped. At present, only documentation relating to lands already acquired is being processed,” a senior official told this correspondent.
Officials in the registration department also confirmed there had been no fresh developments relating to the airport proposal in recent months.
District administration officials indicated that compensation disbursement had substantially progressed and that around 70% of payments had already been made to eligible beneficiaries.
The government is now confronted with another challenge, determining the future of approximately 1,700 acres already acquired over the past two-and-a-half years.
According to sources, several options are under active consideration, including agro-processing facilities, agricultural marketing infrastructure, a silk park and other agriculture-linked industrial projects. Establishment of a SIPCOT industrial estate is also being examined.
"There is pressure from industry bodies and some officials to continue with the airport project because substantial work has already been completed. However, the Chief Minister is keen on honouring his assurance to villagers. Any future development in the acquired area will have to protect agriculture and water resources. Hazardous industries will not be permitted," a source said.
The source added that the Chief Minister is expected to visit the region and make a formal announcement after administrative procedures are completed.
While the reported decision has brought relief to farmers, it has created uncertainty in the real estate market that expanded rapidly after the airport project was announced.
Over the past few years, large tracts of land surrounding Parandur, Karai and adjoining villages changed hands amid expectations of airport-led growth. Several investors and developers acquired extensive parcels, anticipating a sharp rise in land value once the project took shape. Today, that optimism has given way to caution.
At Karai village, where private firms launched plotted developments citing proximity to the proposed airport, developers are offering discounts to attract buyers amid slowing demand.
"Many farmers sold their lands years ago for a few hundred rupees per square foot. Investors later purchased those parcels at much higher rates expecting the airport project to drive prices further. They are now struggling to find buyers even at reduced rates," a resident said.
For Ekanapuram's residents, however, the debate was never about real estate valuations.
The State government is now confronted with another challenge — determining the future of approximately 1,700 acres already acquired for the project over the past two-and-a-half years
It was about preserving a village, protecting agricultural livelihoods and retaining control over land that had sustained generations of farming families.
A formal government order cancelling the project is still awaited. Yet across the villages that spent nearly seven years resisting acquisition, the verdict appears to have already been delivered.
What began as a protest by a few hundred villagers in December 2019 has now reshaped the future of one of Tamil Nadu's most ambitious infrastructure proposals, turning Parandur into a defining example of how sustained grassroots resistance can influence public policy.
* Parandur airport project set to be dropped
* The Vijay govt considering alternative sites
* Fresh land acquisitions in Parandur paused
* Around 1,700 acres have been acquired
* Govt exploring alternative uses for acquired land
* Ekanapuram led the resistance for nearly 7 yrs
* It faced the prospect of complete acquisition
* Farmers cited threats to livelihoods, water bodies
* Real-estate activity slows down in the region
* Investors who bet on airport-led growth face uncertainty
* A formal government order is awaited