TN adopts cautious approach to Chennai’s new airport land acquisition ahead of 2026 polls

Chennai: Determined to proceed with the ambitious project while keeping the 2026 assembly polls in mind, the DMK government in Tamil Nadu has decided to adopt a “cautious approach” by beginning land acquisition for the greenfield airport near Chennai in the neighbouring Kanchipuram district, focusing initially on farmers and villagers willing to part with their land.

Top government sources told DH that they will neither “use force” nor “coerce” farmers protesting against the Rs 20,000 crore project, which aims to build a world-class airport for Chennai featuring two runways and a dedicated cargo village.

“We will adopt a soft approach. We will start the land acquisition process by acquiring land from those willing to sell to the government in exchange for a compensation package that includes rehabilitation. We believe this will help us convince at least a section of the protesting farmers and villagers at a later stage,” a source said.

The decision comes amid actor-politician Vijay’s support for the villagers opposing the project and his declaration that he would not hesitate to gherao the State Secretariat if Chief Minister M K Stalin does not meet the protesters and give them a patient hearing.

The source added that political leadership has issued clear instructions to the Kanchipuram district administration and other departments involved in land acquisition to exercise restraint and ensure that no one is forced to part with their land.

“The decision to slow down land acquisition will certainly delay the project by about a year. With elections approaching, the government does not want any showdown. But there is no turning back on the project,” another source said. The source added that the government expects the first batch of mass land registrations in favour of Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) to begin within the next three months.

Of the 3,900 acres TIDCO needs for the project, apart from about 1,500 acres of its own land in the area, the government has so far registered only 17.52 acres, with protesters alleging that some land was acquired from “outsiders.”

While acknowledging the fierce protests by villagers of Eganapuram, where the proposed airport’s runway will be located, the second source said a sizeable section of farmers and villagers are willing to give up their lands, especially after the government fixed compensation rates about three to seven times higher than the guideline value set for the area.

“Dealing with residents of Eganapuram is tricky as they have been protesting for the past 1,000 days. While 500 acres will be acquired from the village, almost 60 percent of the 1,000 houses to be razed for the project are in this hamlet. Unless Eganapuram residents agree, we cannot launch the project,” the second source added.

The first source said the government is almost ready with the tender to select a concessionaire to build the airport and is preparing documents to obtain environmental clearance, which is mandatory before actual work can begin.

The location is close to the Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway and Sriperumbudur, which boasts massive industrial estates owned by the state government, which plans to develop a new township around the proposed airport to also help decongest Chennai.

Though the number of flights and daily footfall have increased manifold over the years, the city lacks a modern airport comparable to those in Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been expanding terminal buildings at the existing airport to handle the growing rush, but a new airport is long overdue.

The government’s 2006 plan to construct a greenfield airport in Sriperumbudur did not materialize due to various factors, including opposition from the PMK, then an ally of the DMK government. Efforts by the AIADMK government from 2011 to 2021 also failed to bear fruit.