Ten lakes, two streams, 3,500 acres of agricultural land, 1,005 families and hundreds of plant and animal species — these are all under threat because of one development project. There has been a considerable buzz regarding the Chennai Greenfield Airport set to come up in Parandur on the outskirts of the city. But, not all the noise is positive. Villagers in Parandur have been protesting for almost 700 days and some have even boycotted the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, asking the government to withdraw the project.  

Yet, work is steadily progressing on the greenfield airport and the government is in the process of land acquisition, despite concerns raised over the proposed airport’s environmental impact.

“We have been protesting peacefully for two years, but government officials have not come here to listen to our grievances,” says Subramaniyan, a resident of Ekanapuram village, which is part of the land supposed to be acquired for the new airport.

Locals are worried about their homes and livelihoods, while environmentalists and civic activists question the feasibility of such a project. Does Chennai need a second airport? And, what cost are we willing to pay for this mega undertaking?

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In part one of a three-part series on the upcoming greenfield airport, we examine the nitty-gritty of the project, how it came about and whether the existing airport in Chennai can be optimised instead of building a new one.      

About the greenfield project

According to the State government, 5,369 acres (2172.73 hectares) have been earmarked for the proposed Chennai Greenfield Airport (CGA) near Parandur in Kancheepuram district, 70 km away from Chennai. It will come up at an estimated cost of Rs 29,143.95 crore.

The new airport will accommodate a peak passenger handling capacity of 100 million passengers per year. The greenfield airport has been proposed as a secondary airport to the Chennai International Airport, as projections indicate an increase in passenger traffic at Meenambakkam. The existing airport may not be able to handle the numbers.

As per government documents, the airport construction will commence in 2026 and operations will begin in 2028. The government appointed Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO) as the project’s nodal agency.

Chronology of events

Usage of Meenambakkam airport

According to an Airport Authority of India’s reply to an RTI filed by GIS expert and civic activist Dayanand Krishnan, asking for details of usage of the Meenambakkam airport in 2023, the current airport is largely used for domestic flights. Last year, the airport utilised only one runway (primary runway), despite having a secondary runway. The latter was used sparingly during the closure of the primary runway. Simultaneous use of both runways commenced just two months ago.  

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“Considering high aeroplane fuel costs and pollution caused by air traffic, there is a need to look for alternative transport like bullet trains and others. Already, the government has proposed the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed corridor and the Chennai-Bangalore-Mysore high-speed rail project. If all major cities are connected through high-speed railway networks, air connectivity for domestic travel won’t be necessary. And for international travel and cargo shipping, the existing airports and its facilities will be sufficient to operate,” says Dayanand Krishnan. ” 

Data obtained from Airport Authority of India through RTI

“The Chennai Meenambakkam airport can be expanded in the approximately 1,400 acres of land, which is already under the control of AAI. It can incorporate a minimum of two new runways with a length of 3,500 metres each, allowing the airport to handle more planes,” he adds.

Usage percentage:

• Domestic — 71.5%
• International — 22.8%
• Cargo and NSOP — 5.6%

• Average Daily passengers handled in 2023
  • Domestic — 41,600 passengers
  • International — 15,596 passengers
  • Total — 57,196 passengers
• Total passengers in 2023
  • Domestic — 1,51,83,864 passengers
  • International — 56,92,629 passengers
  • Total — 2,08,76,493 passengers (~ 20 Million passengers)

Environment activists also point out that authorities have been tightlipped about why the proposed second expansion of Meenambakkam airport was shelved. Earlier, Manapakkam and nearby localities had been notified as industry purpose areas in the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority’s second master plan, which were withdrawn in 2021. 

“One of the reasons cited for the withdrawal of the expansion project was the high land value (nearly Rs 15,000 crore). However, as per the new plan for the second airport, a Metro Rail corridor needs to be built till Parandur, which is estimated to cost about Rs.15,000 crore. If the expansion plan was withdrawn because of the costs involved, then why is nearly the same amount being invested in this second airport project,” asks Vetriselvan, environmental activist at Poovulagin Nanbargal.

There are many such questions about the proposed project that beg for answers. In the second part of the series, we throw light on the environment impact and lack of transparency regarding environment clearances.  

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