Centre grants TOR for Chennai's second airport at Parandur; here's what it means

CHENNAI: The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has granted ‘Terms of Reference’ (ToR) to the Tamil Nadu government for the development of Chennai greenfield airport at Parandur in Kancheepuram district.

In its reply dated September 9 to the Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), a copy of which is available with DT Next, the ministry has informed the grant of ToR clearance for the development of the second airport for Chennai. The airport will be developed by TIDCO in Parandur.

The ministry’s communication came in reply to an application made by TIDCO on May 12 for the grant of ToR under the provisions of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, 2006, for the development of the airport.

The MoEF clearance would enable TIDCO to undertake an assessment to study the impact on the environment and prepare an Environment Management Plan (EMP) after a public consultation for the development of the Chennai greenfield airport in Parandur.

The ToR document insisted that as part of its EIA report, TIDCO conduct a study on wetlands affected by the project and obtain a no-objection certificate from the State Wetland Authority in addition to conducting a sensitivity analysis of the site.

The corporation must submit the final EIA and EMP with an expert appraisal committee of the MoEF to obtain the mandatory environmental clearance.

In August, the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation granted site clearance for the development of the Parandur airport, which has been resisted by residents, mainly farmers in the villages and environmentalists. They objected to the proposed airport citing how it would affect their livelihood and waterbodies in the area earmarked for the airport.

The proposed airport triggered a controversy after the protestors claimed that a majority of the 5,000-plus acres of land earmarked for the airport were either agricultural land or waterbodies.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

- TIDCO should undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment study and prepare an Environment Management Plan (EMP) after public consultation

- The final EIA and EMP should be submitted to an expert appraisal committee of the MoEF to obtain environmental clearance

- TIDCO must conduct a study on wetlands affected by the project and obtain an NOC from State Wetland Authority and conduct a sensitivity analysis of the site