Parandur greenfield airport project protest widens

CHENNAI: The opposition to the proposed Parandur Greenfield Airport has expanded beyond Ekanapuram village to include Valathur panchayat, with villagers raising concerns over land acquisition.

Despite strong opposition, the Tamil Nadu government is proceeding with the construction of the airport in Parandur, which will serve as Chennai's second airport. The project, encompassing 5,786 acres and impacting 20 villages, is moving forward despite protests from residents.

The government is actively acquiring land in Kancheepuram and Sriperumbudur taluks, with the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (Tidco) making official announcements on the same. The district administration is transferring land ownership and depositing compensation directly into the bank accounts of landowners.

Ekanapuram village, which fully comes under acquisition plans, has been at the forefront of the protest with its residents staging continuous night protests for over 1,095 days against the acquisition of their agricultural land.

Now, Valathur panchayat residents have also joined the protest with notices being issued to the landowners for negotiations. Valathur is a Scheduled Caste-dominated village and over 80 per cent of its land is marked for acquisition for the project.

On day one of the protest, more than 200 residents gathered near the Valathur panchayat office and raised slogans against the government for "forceful" acquisition. They said the government's hastened move has affected the livelihood of the villagers. The villagers also announced that they will continue with the night protests like in Eganapuram village.