New Airport Planned near Chennai !!

THE TAMIL Nadu government has opted for a greenfield airport near Chennai, even while deciding to expand the existing airport in the city. The move, which ends several months of speculation over the possible solution to the vexed airport issue both socially and politically, is a result of the Legislative Party Leaders’ meet, which barring the opposition AIADMK, passed a resolution paving the way for the government to initiate further steps. Announcing the outcome of the meet, Tamil Nadu chief minister, Mr M Karunanidhi said the new greenfield airport will come up in Sriperumbudur and Thiruvallur taluks. The existing airport at Meenambakkam in the city too will be expanded, he added. The expansion of the existing airport would be taken up by acquiring the required land in Manapakkam, Kolapakkam, Kerugambakkam and Tharapakkam, coming under Sriperumbudur taluk, the chief minister told reporters here on Tuesday.

The greenfield airport is expected to come up on 4,820.66 acres. On the other, the expansion of the existing Chennai airport will be carried out on 1,069.99 acres at an estimated cost of Rs 2,000 crore, Mr Karunanidhi said. He said, the work for both the expansion and the greenfield airports will be entrusted to the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The state government will provide suitable compensation to 947 households likely to be affected by these projects. It will also work out a rehabilitation plan for the affected. Mr Karunanidhi said that all the parties, including the PMK, MDMK and the DMDK supported the resolution. However, the opposition AIADMK did not support the resolution. Mr D Jayakumar, who represented the AIADMK at the meeting, submitted a memorandum to the chief minister to reconsider the proposal as people in certain places have raised objections to the project. He said the land acquisition was estimated to cost Rs 1,000 crore. The construction would need an investment of another Rs 1,000 crore, he said.