Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday said the villagers protesting the proposed greenfield airport have agreed to extend cooperation to conducting a Detailed Techno Economic Report (DTER) for the ambitious project.
The assurance, the government said, came during a meeting between three senior ministers — E V Velu, Thangam Thenarasu, and T M Anbarasan — and representatives from Parandur and Ekanapuram villages in Kanchipuram district.
The villagers told the ministerial committee that the land acquisition for the airport project should not affect farmers and villagers, a release from the government said.
“It was stressed to the representatives of the villagers that the feasibility study was necessary to assess several factors. The villagers agreed to cooperate with the government for the study,” the release added.
The report will include Environment Impact Assessment, Environment Management Plan, and social impact studies, besides carrying out market demand assessment and air traffic forecasting, and additional specific reports to obtain the required clearances for the proposed airport from various agencies.
Tuesday’s talks came after the villagers intensified their protest against the airport saying it will affect the water flow in several villages resulting in degradation of environment.
The assurance by the government that the three ministers will listen to their concerns came on Monday as villagers were on their way to the District Collectorate in Kanchipuram to submit a memorandum to the Collector about their opposition to the new airport.
On their part, the villagers said their opposition to the airport project remains steadfast and asked the government to keep their concerns in mind. They also claimed that the ministers said any decision on the airport will be taken only after results of the feasibility study are out.
Published 20 December 2022, 17:02 IST