Lands for airport expansion, new airport identified

Special Correspondent

Over 4, 800 acres to be acquired for greenfield airport in two taluks



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1,069.99 acres to be acquired for expansion
7,115 persons in 947 houses to be displaced
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— Photo: V. Ganesan

IN DISCUSSION: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi presiding over the all-party meeting on airport expansion, at the Secretariat in Chennai on Tuesday.


CHENNAI: Chennai will have a new airport soon. It will also see the expansion of the existing airport to meet the growing needs.

These were the decisions taken at an all-party meet chaired by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. He later said the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam did not agree with the resolution, claiming that many people would be affected by the airport expansion project.

Mr. Karunanidhi said that he had assured the party representative that the Government would look into all petitions. The task of construction would be entrusted with the Airports Authority of India.

Instead of the earlier decision to take over land in thickly populated areas of Ankaputhur, Gowl Bazaar, Pallavaram Cantonment and the nearby areas, the new land acquisition would be in four villages — Manapakkam, Kolapakkam, Kerukampakkam and Tharapakkam. A total of 1069.99 acres would be acquired for the expansion in the villages.

In the earlier case, the number of people to be displaced was put at 60,000 and houses to be razed down at 5,000. Now, 7,115 persons living in 947 houses would be displaced. A small extent of defence land also needed to be acquired. The compensation package and relocation cost would be around Rs. 1,000 crore.

The Government would also acquire land for the proposed greenfield airport. The development of the airport and the expansion of the old airport would proceed simultaneously. As many as 4,820.66 acres spread across Tirumangalam, Mambakkam, Irungulam, Vadamangalam, Padicherry, Sirukilai, Kilai and Sriperumbudur in Sriperumbudur taluk, Tirupandiyur and Vayalur in Tiruvallur taluk would be acquired. A total of 6,540 people would be affected and 1,078 houses would be razed. The compensation would cost the Government Rs. 1,799.89 crore and resettlement of the affected people, Rs. 53.9 crore.

Officials explained that since the earlier government had already committed that it would give land free of cost for the development of an airport, it was not possible to go back on that now.

The new airport would have four runways to cater to the increased traffic. Both airports would be required given the rate at which Chennai was growing, the officials said.

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