HC stays airport expansion project
The state government plan to give the city an airport of international standards has again met with an obstacle. Following a petition by the residents of Manapakkkam, a city suburb, the Madras High Court on Wednesday decided to grant an interim stay preventing the government from acquiring land in the village.
Along with the announcement to create a Metro Rail project at the cost of Rs 9757 crore in November, the government also declared that it would hand over 1,069.99 acres of land for expanding the airport and make it modern.
Earlier, the government had decided to expand the airport into Pozhichalur, but this move was met with stiff resistance by the local people. In a government order dated July 9, 2007, the government had said it would acquire land in Manappakkam. But now the move to acquire land for this project has been stalled. The residents of Manappakkam village say they have bought plots of land in the area and started constructing flats after obtaining loans from banks. Their dreams of getting a new home would be jettisoned if the airport expansion project is implemented, they have plead before the High Court.
(A blog seems to exclusively protesting the airport expansion move. Though I don’t see any substantial original reportage, it does serve as an reminder on the Internet about the fate of the hundreds of affected residents.)
The Tamil Nadu govt. doesn’t care much about what the court thinks – remember the helmet issue. I doubt they’d really care about what the court says.
I’m really excited about the airport expansion, I hope it becomes a reality, because the plans for it are really nice-looking and fairly ambitious.
I do not live in Manapakkam, so I do not know what people living there are going through. That said, we badly need the airport project to go on, and the new airport to come up without delays, or we will lose out to Bangalore’s and Hyderabad’s swanky new airports. I hope the Madras High Court quickly decides on a fair settlement and allows the project to continue.
The easiest way to tear up any project is to get an Indian court involved. The rest, as they say, is infinite postponement.
This is for the new one at Sriperumbdur or the exisiting one at Meenambakkam?
I think the govt will arm twist its way out of this one. General public wants the new airport, and the media wont play spoil sport too
this is the meenambakkam airport.
Marvel River view county has been developed in manapkkam and in phase 1 about 152 houses have been built and occupied. Buildings in Phase 2 in under construction . All construction have been taken up after clearnce fro CMDA and assurance that there willbe no aquisitions. We have put our life savings and availed large loans from financial institutions and banks And paying EMI ‘s. That is one story. The next . The same land was offered to Airport authirities few years back abd it was REJECTED AS NOT SUITABLE BCOS OF RIVER BED AND a live river Adyar is running across . Now the same land has become suitable How come new technology or new govt./ It is not safe to build a runway on loose soil and AAAI say they will build box culvert across river to take the wt of modern aircraft. and when it floods as it does every monsoon the planes will float? It is a risky proposition to build it at this place now and regret later Better plan it as a new one elsewhere .
I wonder what the point is in expanding Meenambakkam airport if a new airport at Sriperumbudur is also going to be built. It seems slightly odd and also comes at a great cost. Or is the airport in Sriperumbudur not going to happen?
Hey is it expansion at the cost of lesser mortals?
there are 6-7 5 star hotels near meenambakkam. will the government pay heed to the middle clas cries? if the build a green field airport at Sriperumbudur why the need for expansion at meenambakkam. I see sinister design as a new int’l airport would mean reduction of income for the 5 star hotles! Are the hotels by proxy pushing the TN Govt for meenambakkam expansion?
moreover one questio remains. Anyway the airport requires 4000+acres. Present airport is approx 1200 acres and 1070 acres in addition will only make it 2270 acres! will it suffice? or will the TN govt ask for more land in the next adjoining areas after this expansion?
does it sound like the familiar camel in the tent story?
will then the now happier pozhichalur and cowl bazar residents have any cause for cheer?
The present airport expansion will not only cause inundation in the adjoining areas as recently seen in the past 3-4 days of incessant rain in the areas,the new runway will become weak and will it be ready to receive the boeing 787 and Airbus 380 in fuure?
Pleae common man think.
Only a greenfield airort at sripeumbudur for which land has already been acquired will help. no use troubleing the middle class. Let more international 5 star hotels come nea sriperumbudur.
Please TN govt develop Sriperumbudur. chennai is aready choked. Pleae dont add more carbon by increasing air traffic in meenambakkam.
It is a misfortune of the middle class to suffer. We have invested our life savimgs availed huge loans form banks to consturct houses and make it our home.Now that they being acquired for expansion of airport . Think is it a wise move to construct a landing strip on a river bed that too the same land has been rejected as unsuitable four years back Now it has become suitable How Pressure from STAR hotels near Meenambakkam And vested interests ?Political bosses are going to answer these in the future . But who cares they have earned millions for their future generations. Only we are born to suffer. Gods save this country
I AM HASHWIN OF STD V111 STUDING IN KRMM MAT HR SEC SCHOOL I WANT MY CHENNAI INT AIRPORT TO BE BIG AND NEAT IT SHOULD BE IN THE MODEL OF SINGAPORE CHANGI INT AIRPORT
Undetstand that this Area for expansion is not accepted by AAI initially and by force only they have accecpted. Still there are confusion, what happened to the GOVT announced about the Green Field Airport every body is silent. No media a talking about this.
Media should do some thing to get a clarity,
Please Help us, we are affected
Govt should announce about the Green Field Airport
Hi Hashwin,
Making chennai airport big? Do you know how much land is required for that? Where are the roads to handle such a traffic to and from airport?
already roads in chennai are far more congested than Singapore! we want green chennai and not grey chennai.
Bigger airports can be planned in new locations like sriperumbudur and we have excellent roads leading there and lets make the traffic spread along moreroads rather than make them all at meenambakkam.
There is a lot of vacant land at sriperumbudur and making the airport there will not DISPLACE and DISTURD ANYONE.
Hi Hashwin,
Making chennai airport big? Do you know how much land is required for that? Where are the roads to handle such a traffic to and from airport?
already roads in chennai are far more congested than Singapore! we want green chennai and not grey chennai.
Bigger airports can be planned in new locations like sriperumbudur and we have excellent roads leading there and lets make the traffic spread along moreroads rather than make them all at meenambakkam.
There is a lot of vacant land at sriperumbudur and making the airport there will not DISPLACE and DISTURB ANYONE.
Hi Hashwin,
Making chennai airport big? Do you know how much land is required for that? Where are the roads to handle such a traffic to and from airport?
already roads in chennai are far more congested than Singapore! we want green chennai and not grey chennai.
Bigger airports can be planned in new locations like sriperumbudur and we have excellent roads leading there and lets make the traffic spread along moreroads rather than make them all at meenambakkam.
There is a lot of vacant land at sriperumbudur and making the airport there will not DISPLACE and DISTURB ANYONE.
Hi all
this plan is just plain bullshit and stinks of politics…the plan was never on and even now its not sure how it can go on..i have a house in RVC Manapakkam and am an interested party. the previous government cleared this land through CMDA for contruction of house though the proposal for expansion was on the anvil. the CMDA even gave a letter in writing that these lands will never be acquired I have seen the letter.
as rightly pointed out its the middle class that suffers….name one project where something big or beloinging to some one big was acquired ever.
Fisherman’s cove is right on the CRZ and so many other big houses along ECR …why not a plan to demoilish these approved buildings like ours….after all its the supreme court order….
but this government will never be able to complete this project because of the interventions of the court and the orders that will now come one after the other …against notices and later against inadequate compensation….before which the next govt will come and having the advantage of being in TN all previous govt projects will be dropped including the Sriperumbudur airport plan….we can expect a new aiport in exactly the opposite direction of Sriperumpudur after land values are escalated…….believe me this will happen