Greenfield airport in Parandur: Villagers refuse to send kids to school in protest
They have been continuing with their protest every day against the State government’s decision to change the location of the Greenfield airport.
A teacher sits in an empty classroom in the Eganapuram panchayat middle school; a notice displayed outside the school about the protest by villagers
CHENNAI: Residents of Parandur and its surrounding villages protested by not sending their kids to the schools on Friday against the State government’s decision to change the location of the airport. Villagers said that they would not send their children to schools till the government changed the location.
They have been continuing with their protest every day against the State government’s decision to change the location of the Greenfield airport.
On the 494th day of protest, villagers did not send their kids to school. There are 117 students from LKG to Class 8 in the Eganapuram panchayat middle school. On Friday, all of them skipped classes.
Earlier, the airport was planned to be constructed in about 4,870 acres by acquiring the lands from 13 villages including Parandur and Eganapuram. In the latest GO, it was mentioned that around 5,746 acres will be acquired for the airport and in the process, 20 villages will be destroyed.
The Kancheepuram administration also started the initial works for acquiring the lands. Incensed over the decision, villagers said that they would continue to protest if the government did not drop the plan.