Chennai: Protests against the proposed airport at Parandur have intensified in Tamil Nadu’s Kancheepuram district with the grama sabha meeting passing a resolution against it.
The resolution was passed by Ekanpuram villagers in Parandur sitting under the statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar on Gandhi Jayanti. Most of those who signed the resolution were women.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had in the state Assembly announced the construction of an airport at Parandur at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore. The new airport is proposed to have two runways, taxiways, aprons, cargo terminals, and new buildings among other infrastructure, and has been stiffly opposed by the villagers, including farmers.
The state government has promised compensation to those displaced due to the airport project above that of the market value. However, people in the district have been protesting against the project and have warned the government of strong agitation against the project.
M. Kumarasamy, an agriculturist at Ekanapuram village while speaking to IANS, said, “We will not allow our land to be taken away by the government for the airport project. The DMK government had promised to take care of the needs of the poor and downtrodden, including farmers. Is this the way they are looking after our needs, taking away our land which is our only livelihood? There will be strong protests and we can’t be lured by the compensation they are offering.”
Villagers have also decided to conduct relay satyagraha against the impending airport project in the days to come.
The government has announced the second airport in Chennai at Parandur to be functional by 2028 and that an area of around 4,500 acres would be taken over for its construction. The state government is of the opinion that Chennai and its surrounding areas will have stagnant growth without a second airport.
