Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 25 (ANI): Residents of Parandur and neighbouring villages met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat and thanked him for announcing the cancellation of the proposed Parandur greenfield airport project.
Chief Minister Vijay on Monday announced in the Assembly that his government would abandon steps taken to establish a new airport at Parandur, stating that the project would affect agricultural land and disrupt the livelihoods of farmers and residents.
According to TNDIPR, President of the Parandur Green Airport Project Opposition Struggle Committee G Subramanian, Secretary SD Kathiresan and other committee members met Chief Minister Vijay at the Secretariat. They thanked him for announcing in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly that the government would abandon the steps being taken to establish a new airport at Parandur.
During the meeting, Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources N Anand, Minister for Public Works and Sports Development Aadhav Arjuna, Minister for Energy and Law CTR Nirmal Kumar and Minister for Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils Thennarasu were also present.
Welcoming the decision, Parandur Greenfield Airport protest committee leader Subramani said the residents had been fighting for five years to scrap the project and expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for fulfilling his promise.
"We have been fighting for 5 years demanding scrapping of Parandur airport. In the past, we led various protests. We said if Parandur airport comes, Chennai will be flooded. Two rounds of talks also failed," said Subramani.
"Is development only in Parandur airport? Yesterday Thangam Thennarasu falsely claimed 90% of the land has been acquired. But from the beginning, Vijay supported us. He has fulfilled the promise he gave. As a thank you, we have requested to name a road in our area after him. We thanked the Chief Minister for his announcement," he said.
He alleged that DMK is creating a false understanding. "Like farmers' lands were protected, for the new airport to be built, lands will be acquired in a way that does not affect agriculture," he said.
"Parandur airport is not development for Tamil Nadu; it is development for DMK. A real estate gang had hatched many plans there. DMK's investment was not for Tamil Nadu's growth but for their own growth. People linked to DMK have invested in that area. They thought they could make threefold money. The Chief Minister has shattered their dream. Unable to accept that, only DMK people are now struggling," he added.
He said that except for the DMK, all parties had welcomed the decision to scrap the project.
On Monday, CM Vijay said in an assembly that Chennai's Meenambakkam airport, operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), currently has the capacity to handle 30 million passengers annually. He said a new airport was needed considering the city's growing requirements, industrial development and increasing cargo transportation.
However, the Chief Minister said the new airport should be located at a place where agricultural land and residential areas are minimally affected.
CM Vijay said he had visited Eganapuram and other villages on January 20, 2025, and listened to the grievances of people protesting against the proposed airport at Parandur and surrounding villages.
"I stand firmly with the people protesting against the airport to be established in Chennai's Parandur and 12 surrounding villages," he said.
The Chief Minister said farmers were the backbone of the country and expressed support for those protesting to protect their agricultural land.
CM Vijay said he had already opposed the Parandur airport project at a public meeting in Vikravandi in October 2024, while stressing that he supported industrial development and the role of airports in it.
"However, this project should not be located in Parandur. The government must reconsider this project," he said, adding that an alternative location should be identified where minimum agricultural land is affected, and people's livelihoods are not disrupted.
He said detailed consultations were held with senior officials and experts regarding the establishment of a new airport."To fulfil the promise I made to the people that day... the steps taken to establish a new airport in Parandur will be abandoned by this government," CM Vijay said.
In April 2025, the Civil Aviation Ministry had granted the 'in-Principle' approval for setting up an international greenfield airport at Parandur, Kancheepuram District. (ANI)
"CM Vijay fulfilled his promise": Parandur protest leader hails airport project cancellation after five-year agitation
