The Tamil Nadu Krishnan (TVK) party is defending its decision to scrap the proposed Parandur greenfield airport project near Chennai.
The dispute highlights a growing conflict between environmental preservation and infrastructure development in Tamil Nadu. The decision affects the region's long-term transportation strategy and the livelihoods of local agrarian communities.
Felix Jerald, a spokesperson for the TVK party, said the project must be cancelled to protect thousands of acres of fertile farmland [1]. Jerald said the move would also safeguard thousands of farming families [1]. Beyond the agricultural impact, the party noted that the site contains crucial water bodies that supply drinking water to Chennai [1].
TVK officials said the Parandur site is unsuitable for an airport [2]. According to Jerald, the Airport Authority of India had previously rejected the site [1].
However, the stance has drawn criticism from political opponents. On July 22, Nainar Nagenthran, the state unit president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said the TVK-led government must extend cooperation to the Centre for setting up a new airport in Tamil Nadu [3]. The BJP has urged the state to either build the airport at the approved Parandur site or find a viable alternative [2].
CTR Nirmal Kumar also said the Parandur site chosen for Chennai’s second airport is unsuitable [2]. This suggests that while there is disagreement over the government's cooperation with the central government, some views on the specific site's viability remain divided across different political and technical lines.
The TVK party continues to prioritize water security and environmental protection over the development of the greenfield site [1].
“The TVK-led government must extend cooperation to the Centre for setting up a new airport in Tamil Nadu.”
The standoff over the Parandur airport reflects a broader tension between the TVK-led state government and the central government. By prioritizing the protection of water bodies and farmland, the TVK is positioning itself as a defender of local ecological interests, while the BJP views the delay as a failure to cooperate on critical national infrastructure. The mentioned rejection by the Airport Authority of India provides the TVK with a technical justification to resist pressure from the Centre.
