Tamil Nadu Congress backs CM Vijay's decision to scrap Parandur airport

The Tamil Nadu Congress has backed the cancellation of the Parandur airport project, citing environmental risks, large-scale displacement and concerns over the land acquisition process.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore said on X that the party’s stand was based on official records and its commitment to farmers’ rights, not political considerations.

His statement came after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced on Monday that his government would scrap the proposed airport in Kancheepuram district.

Tagore said farmers from Ekanapuram and neighbouring villages had fought for years to protect their land and livelihoods. “This was not resistance to development. It was a community defending its land, water and livelihoods,” the state Congress chief said.

He cited the Airports Authority of India’s March 2022 feasibility report to argue that the project’s environmental flaws, now cited as reasons for its scrapping, had been evident from the outset.

The report had highlighted that Parandur was low-lying and surrounded by water bodies, with irrigation tanks covering more than a quarter of the proposed site and a 201-hectare man-made lake just 1.4 km from its boundary.

PANNUR FARED BETTER, SAYS TAGORE

Tagore questioned why Parandur was selected over Pannur, another site considered for Chennai’s second airport.

According to figures cited by him, Parandur is about 62 km from Chennai, compared with 27.6 km for Pannur. The Parandur project would have displaced around 1,005 families, nearly four times the estimated 250 families affected at Pannur.

Parandur would also have required roughly twice as much earthwork for filling and grading, he said.

The 51-year-old MP argued that Pannur performed better on several criteria considered by the government and questioned why the findings of the 2022 report were not acted upon earlier.

“The technical basis cited by the TVK government for cancelling the project was already contained in the 2022 study,” he said.

QUESTIONS OVER LAND ACQUISITION

The Virudhunagar MP also raised concerns over the use of the Tamil Nadu Land Consolidation for Special Projects Act, 2023, to acquire land for the airport.

He said the legislation was introduced and passed in the Assembly on the same day through a voice vote, without adequate debate. He alleged that it gave wide powers to a five-member committee without creating a meaningful consent process for affected families.

Tagore said land acquisition proceeded even as the full Environmental Impact Assessment, environmental clearances and a no-objection certificate from the State Wetland Authority remained pending.

He linked the Congress’s support for the cancellation to the principles of consent and independent Social Impact Assessment contained in the 2013 land acquisition law enacted by the Congress-led UPA government.

CALL FOR NEW SITE WITHOUT DELAY

Tagore said the cancellation should not delay plans to expand Chennai’s aviation capacity. He asked the Tamil Nadu government to set a deadline for identifying and studying an alternative site.

“Correcting one flawed decision must not itself become an excuse for indefinite delay, especially when Chennai’s existing airport is approaching its capacity limits,” he said.

The Congress MP also sought clarity for farmers and landowners in Nelvoy, Nagapattu, Thandalam, Podavur, Valathur and Akkammapuram whose land had already been acquired.

He demanded that the government decide the future of the acquired land within three months, release the outstanding compensation and restore basic civic infrastructure in the affected villages.

“Chennai does need greater aviation capacity. But no city’s growth should come at the cost of a community’s land, water, livelihoods and dignity without their genuine consent,” Tagore said.

WHY VIJAY SCRAPPED PARANDUR AIRPORT

CM Vijay told the Assembly that the Parandur project would affect agricultural land, farmers and residential areas.

He acknowledged that Chennai needed a second airport to meet rising passenger demand, support industrial growth and expand cargo movement. The existing Meenambakkam airport can handle around 30 million passengers annually.

The Chief Minister said an alternative site should be selected with minimal disruption to farmland and residential settlements.

During his announcement, the TVK chief recalled visiting Ekanapuram and neighbouring villages in January 2025 to meet residents protesting against the project.

He said he had supported their efforts to protect their land and livelihoods and had decided to oppose the Parandur site as early as October 2024.