CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC), which had earlier supported the proposed Parandur greenfield airport under former president K Selvaperunthagai, has now backed the TVK government’s decision to scrap the project, raising questions over the party’s changed stand after TVK came to power.
Explaining the party position, TNCC president B Manickam Tagore said that the Congress was supporting the cancellation based on the government’s own studies and official records, and not as a political response to the previous government.
“The Airports Authority of India’s March 2022 feasibility report had already flagged concerns over Parandur’s waterbodies, irrigation tanks and low lying terrain,” he recalled. “More than one-fourth of the identified land comprised irrigation tanks and that a 201-hectare artificial lake was located close to the proposed project area.”
He also compared Parandur with the alternative Pannur site, saying Parandur was around 62 km from Chennai against 27.6 km for Pannur. “While around 1,005 families were expected to be affected at Parandur, only about 250 families would have been affected at Pannur,” he added. “More than 1,000-day protests by Eganapuram and neighbouring villagers reflect genuine concerns over land, water and livelihoods rather than opposition to development.”
The TNCC also demanded that the government announce a clear timeline for identifying an alternative location for the second airport through a proper Social Impact Assessment and meaningful consultation with affected communities. It further sought clarity within three months on land already acquired from farmers and landowners in Nelvai, Nagapattu, Thandalum, Podavur, Valathur and Akkammmapuram, besides immediate payment of the remaining compensation and restoration of basic civic amenities.