Massive protest against proposed Parandur airport project

CHENNAI: Hundreds of villagers of Parandur, Ekanapuram who were marching towards the Kancheepuram collectorate protesting against the proposed plan to build an airport in Parandur were stopped by the police and revenue officials.

The government has proposed to construct a greenfield airport in Parandur in the Kancheepuram district by acquiring the farmlands in 13 villages. From the day of the official announcement, the villagers of Parandur, Ekanapuram and other villages were protesting in many ways demanding the government to change the location of the airport. Protesting every night from 7 to 10 pm continuously for 146 days, they said that they would never give up the protest until the location is changed.

On Monday, the villagers gathered in Ekanapuram and marched towards the Kancheepuram collectorate with black flags raising slogans to drop the plan and change the location of the airport.

However, within a kilometre, the villagers were stopped by the police and the RDOs of Kancheepuram and Sriperumbudur who visited the spot and held peace talks with the villagers. They promised that on Tuesday a meeting will be arranged with the ministers in the Secretariat for the villagers. After which the villagers dispersed.

The villagers however said that if the government did not change the location of the airport, they would take the protest to the next level. The added that they are even ready for a mass suicide protest considering the life of the next generation.

The villagers had already tried to grab the attention of the government officials by hoisting black flags outside their houses and protested by not sending their kids to schools. A few months ago, the villagers were planning to march towards the secretariat.

Ministers Thangam Thenarasu, EV Velu and Anbarasan met the representatives in the secretariat and promised to take the issue to the Chief Minister.

The villagers also suggest that government can choose Thiruporur near Kovalam where 5,000 acres of government property which was once used for salt mining can be used for the greenfield airport.

They added that following the recent rains, the proposed place for the airport is flooded and especially the area which is marked for the runway is flooded completely.

“These are the farmlands and the water that stagnates would help us in cultivation and be helpful for everyone in the country. But if they construct an airport here it would be flooded every monsoon season.

The villagers said our next move will be based on the result that we get after meeting with the Ministers on Tuesday. “We will never leave our land at any cost and we are even ready to give our lives to save our land,” the protesters added.