Tamil Nadu: Parandur runway to sidestep Ekanapuram?

CHENNAI:  The ministry of civil aviation is examining a request from the TN government on the feasibility of shifting the runway for the proposed Parandur airport to ensure the entire Ekanapuram village, the habitations and the agricultural land, don’t get wiped off after the land acquisition, said Industries Secretary S Krishnan.

Speaking on the sidelines of ‘Greenfield Airport: Timely Initiative to Fast Track TN’s Growth’, jointly organised by TN Industrial Development Corporation Limited and Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Krishnan said they are considering various possibilities, as the entire village comes under one of the runways.

“We are looking at shifting the runway while accounting for all other factors like the air funnel for INS Rajali, the issues pertaining to Tambaram airbase and others. It is a technical question that the Airport Authority of India has to answer,” said Krishnan.

He said the government doesn’t want to build the airport by causing distress or unhappiness to the people. 
Interestingly, the proposed timeline for Paradur airport is 2028. Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu said the second airport in Chennai is key to realising the government’s goal of becoming a $1 trillion economy. “We require a new greenfield airport which will take care of our future demand,” he said, adding the new airport will co-exist with the old one. 

The existing airport has its own challenges for expansion as it is surrounded by dwellings on one side and defence land on the other. The minister also highlighted that the Chief Minister wanted the airport not only for the development of industries but also for the socio-economic development of the local community who are the landholders. 

The minister also highlighted that the State, during the last 18 months, have wooed `2.5 lakh crore worth of investments. Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission and Chairman and Managing Director of Tafe Ltd, Mallika Srinivasan, said the new airport could become an aerotropolis, a metropolitan subregion whose infrastructure, land use, and economy are centred on an airport.

Krishnan stressed the need to preserve the flow of water saying, “We are setting up an expert committee comprising experts from IIT Madras and College of Engineering, Guindy, to ensure that issues regarding flooding are resolved

Meanwhile, TN Industrial Development Corporation will soon conduct a techno feasibility study of Parandur airport and bids will be called in a week or two for a strategic advisor, he said.  “For each of the strategic planning, we assure you we will seek the best possible technical advise,” Krishnan added.