TN govt holds talks with farmers opposed to Parandur airport project

CHENNAI, (PTI): An expert committee would examine geological and hydrological features of areas in and around Parandur near here, where a greenfield airport is proposed to be set up, a group of Ministers on Tuesday apprised farmers of Kancheepuram district, who are opposed to the project.

People, who oppose the airport project in their neighbourhood, however, said they would continue to hold protest till the government announced that the new airport would not come up in their villages. It was the 147th day of protest on December 20.

At the Secretariat here, Public Works Minister E V Velu, Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu and Rural Industries Minister T M Anbarasan held talks with farmers, who oppose the project in their villages (in Kancheepuram District) as their farm lands and residential areas would be acquired by the government leading to their displacement.

G Subramanian, representing the Struggle Committee, which is spearheading the protest, told reporters following the talks, that they are determined to continue their protest.

Showing a ‘map,’ he said the airport project is proposed in an area that abound in water bodies, channels, aquifers and hence unsuitable for an airport project. He referred to an ancient canal the ‘Kamban Kalvay’ and said it would also be seriously affected if compound walls or construction work was taken up.

The government has apprised them that a committee of experts from the IIT-Madras and Anna University would study the geological and hydrological aspects, he said, adding the government has assured them that the farmers would not be affected.

Subramanian, who is a resident of Ekanapuram village, answering a question said that not only his village but at least 12 other villages including Nelvoy, Nagapattu, Meleri, Mahadevi Mangalam and parts of Parandur would be hit if the project was allowed.

To a question, he said that the Struggle Committee represented all the villages. The agitations are more pronounced in his Ekanapuram village as farm lands and houses would be completely affected, he said.

In an official release, the government said that farmers from Ekanapuram village took part in the parleys and named 10 farmers including Subramanian who alleged that police was preventing coordination among various villages to effectively take forward the agitations.

”They (Police) don’t allow us to come together for holding protest.” He cited the recent rains and flooding in the villages and wondered how the airport could be set up in such a region. It took three days for the authorities to fish out the body of a boy who was washed away in floods, he said.

On August 2, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin announced that a second airport for the city would come up at Parandur near Sriperumbudur at an estimated Rs 20,000 crore with an annual capacity of 10 crore passengers.

Answering a question, Subramanian said the proposed study’s outcome would be a ‘failure’ emphasising that local people knew well about the hydrology and geology of their area. ”Even if the experts were to make a recommendation that the project may be taken forward, we will oppose it tooth and nail and we are ready for all sacrifices.” This is the second meeting of Ministers with the farmers. The first meeting was held on October 15 at the Secretariat.

The government has said that it would provide compensation to the tune of ‘3.5 times of market value’ for the land, proposed to be acquired in villages in Kancheepuram district. ”The Ministers explained to Ekanapuram villagers, the need for the expert committee to look into the geological and hydrological features of the proposed airport site. Ekanapuram farmers accepted this and assured full cooperation,” the government release said.

Subramanian said the government has promised them that they would be informed in advance about the proposed visit of the experts and that local people could apprise them about their concerns. The government said the talks also covered land acquisition initiatives in 13 revenue villages, six of which fall in Sriperumbudur taluk and the rest in Kancheepuram taluk.

Both the taluks are in Kancheepuram district. Sriperumbudur MLA Selvaperunthagai and top officials took part in the talks. The legislator told reporters that that he is always ‘with the people’ and they should not be affected. (PTI)