Sabarimala airport: Central environment panel clears TOR
The location is close enough for easy connectivity to Pamba but far enough to ensure no disturbance to the Sabarimala temple and its activities.
Representative image
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala’s proposal to develop a Rs 3,411-crore greenfield Sabarimala international airport in Kottayam received a shot in the arm, with a Union Environment Ministry panel recommending it for the grant of Standard Terms of Reference (TOR) for airports.
This will enable the project proponent, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) Limited, to plan and design an environment impact assessment (EIA), besides providing a format and structure for the project, official sources said.
The site is centrally located near the proposed SH59 (Hill Highway), 50 km from Pamba, an important pilgrimage place closely connected to Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple, and 40 km from Kottayam town. Other than the pilgrims, the airport would give provide a fillip to the tourism and local economies of Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, and Idukki districts.
The airport is proposed to be set up on around 2,570 acres of land in Erumeli, for which the government has proposed to acquire 916.27 ha from Cheruvally Estate and 123.53 ha from both Manimala and Erumeli South villages.
The location is close enough for easy connectivity to Pamba but far enough to ensure no disturbance to the Sabarimala temple and its activities.
“The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the ministry, which met in New Delhi last month, observed that the proposed site appears to be the best alternative among the sites and recommended the proposal for the grant of Standard TOR for airports,” a source said.
The proponent informed the EAC that the project site is outside the Eco-Sensitive Area of the Western Ghat and submitted a certificate from the Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Environment) to this effect. The ecologically sensitive zone of Periyar Tiger Reserve falls outside the 10-km radius of the proposed airport project.
Last month, a draft of the social impact assessment of land acquisition recommended mitigation and compensation of the possible negative impacts of the proposed land acquisition, and recommended compensation for the land owners as per the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act, 2013, and as per the 2015 rules framed by Kerala, besides resettlement procedures issued by the Kerala Revenue Department in 2015 and 2017.
