Parandur Airport Project Scrapping Sparks Assembly Debate for Second Day

The decision to scrap the Greenfield airport project at Parandur triggered heated discussions for the second day both inside the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and outside at the Secretariat in Chennai.

Members of the Parandur protest committee called on Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat to express gratitude for fulfilling his promise to cancel the project. Speaking to reporters outside the Secretariat, protest committee head Subramanian alleged that DMK leaders had made large land investments in the area expecting major profits once the airport became operational.

Subramanian noted that while opposition parties including the AIADMK welcomed the government's announcement to identify an alternative site for Chennai's second airport, the DMK continued to oppose the decision. He highlighted that the project would have impacted 2,500 acres of fertile wetland (nanjai) and 1,300 acres of dry land (punjai), alongside 12 lakes, 17 ponds, and 17 other water bodies, which comprised 26 percent of the project area.

He further stated that the airport construction would have damaged the 1,100-year-old Kamban Canal, blocked water flow to the Chembarambakkam Lake, and affected bird arrivals at the Vedanthangal sanctuary. Following the cancellation, residents celebrated in Parandur and proposed naming a main road in Eganapuram as 'Thalapathi C Joseph Vijay Road.'

Inside the Assembly, the issue sparked sharp exchanges during a debate on demands for grants. DMK MLA S Austin and former Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu argued that dropping the project would adversely affect industrial growth in the State.

Responding to a question from AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami regarding 1,700 acres of land acquired over the past four years, State Industries Minister S Keerthana said the government plans to utilize the land for alternative development projects. Subramanian also dismissed earlier claims that 90 percent of the land had been acquired, pointing out that 1,700 acres represented only a fraction of the 5,740 acres earmarked.

During the debate, Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna asserted that the cancellation prevented a major land scam, prompting counter-questions from Thennarasu over the site selection process.