Parandur airport: Panel preparing DPR witness protest

CHENNAI: A panel headed by retired IAS officer S Machendranathan would submit the Detailed Project Report (DPR) over the construction of a new airport in Parandur within three weeks to the Government of Tamil Nadu.

The panel witnessed protest by villagers against the proposed airprot.

Addressing the reporters after conducting the feasibility study at Parandur, Ekanapuram, Pannur, Thandalam, Nelvoy and surrounding areas, Machendranathan said, "A Detailed Project Report over the water bodies at the Parandur site will be submitted to the Government of Tamil Nadu within two or three weeks. The public, especially the villagers who want to raise their concern or view can meet us or meet the District Collector of Kancheepuram and register their grievances. But so far, only one association has come up with their grievances."

Earlier in February 2023, The Tamil Nadu government had set up the panel with the faculty members from Anna University, IIT-Madras and the Water Resources Department officials under the guidance of S Machendranathan to conduct the feasibility study to check whether the proposed airport site is suitable for the project.

The panel was set up after the Ekanapuram People and Farmers Welfare Federation raised their concern that the Kamban canal and the stream that runs in the Ekanapuram village would flood the neighbouring 30 villages if the proposed airport is built by blocking the canal that joins with the Kosasthalaiyar river.

Meanwhile, the state government had promised the farmers and villagers that the project would begin only after conducting the feasibility study.

However, on Sunday, during the feasibility study by the panel, the villagers staged a road blockade condemning the feasibility study.

Later, the district police arrested around 500 villagers of Ekanapuram for staging a protest.