Drop airport project, say residents

30-Jan-2008

Residents of Lakshmi Nagar in Gerugambakkam have urged Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to use good offices to persuade the Union government to save their habitat from getting wiped out of revenue records.

Talking to reporters here on Monday, after registering their objection against acquisition of land for the Chennai airport expansion project, they said the Chief Minister might not have been properly briefed about their pathetic situation.

The Chief Minister had decided to shelve the land acquisition project with respect to Kaul Bazzar, Pozhichallur and other areas, in deference to the wishes of the residents of those areas.

“We believe that he will definitely heed our plea to convince the Union government to drop the Chennai airport expansion project and concentrate on setting up greenfield airport near Sriperumbudur”, they added.

Dhanam and Faridha, residents of the area, said they were haunted by fears about loss of their lands owing to the project.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/30/stories/2008013059620400.htm

Message in Dinamalar 27-Jan-2008

Dinakaran 25-Jan-08

Dinamani 25-Jan-08

Airport in land trouble

25-Jan-2008

CHENNAI: The Rs 2,700-crore expansion project of Chennai airport, which is struggling to manage increase in air-traffic, seems to have hit a roadblock.

As acquisition of 1,066 acres of land in Gerugambakkam, Manapakkam, Kolapakkam and Tharapakkam has been caught in a wrangle with the residents, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has not been able to start the project on time.

As per the Centre’s plan, works — to build a parallel runway, a taxi way and an integrated terminal— should have started early this month. It was slated for completion in two years, so that the airport would be able to manage the growing traffic till 2016 — when the greenfield airport at Sriperumbudur is completed.

Refusing to comment on the project’s status, AAI chairman K Ramalingam said, “We are holding talks with the stakeholders.”

Meanwhile, residents have met Kancheepuram Collector to urge the government to develop the airport without affecting people.

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IE920080124222145

New runway not planned: Aviation Ministry

25-Jan-2008

KANCHEEPURAM: The Ministry of Civil Aviation has said that it had only applied for clearance from the Public Investment Board (PIB) for extending the secondary runway at the Chennai airport and not for constructing a new parallel runway.

According to a copy of a reply dated January 7 by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to queries raised by the public under the Right to Information Act, the AAI seem to have never planned for constructing a new parallel runway on the northern side of the Adyar. Claiming that there were no technical and economic feasibility reports available for the construction of a parallel runway, it said no environmental impact assessment report had been prepared either.

Distributing copies of the reply to the press on Thursday, Thamizh Selvan, Balesh and Sumathi of Tharapakkam said they were at a loss to comprehend why the State government was keen on acquiring 1,650 acres of land in Tharapakkam, Kolapakkam, Gerugembakkam, Kovur and Manapakkam.

The AAI had no plans of constructing a new runway . It had not yet obtained clearance from the PIB for the extension of the secondary runway.

“Such being the case, what is the need to speed up the process of land acquisition,” they wondered.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/25/stories/2008012553420300.htm

Dinathanthi 25-Jan-08

Government's response about compensation for Chennai Airport Expansion

23-Jan-08

"Oragadam model" may be adopted

The "Oragadam model" of extending compensation for lands acquired for non-residential purposes is likely to be adopted in the Chennai airport expansion project.

Majority of landowners who have resisted the land acquisition process initiated by the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu at Oragadam last year, to assist a multi-national company for setting up its production unit, subsequently agreed to relinquish their rights over their lands after the SIPCOT announced a compensation package on a par with the market value.

Enquiries revealed that as far as the Chennai airport expansion project was concerned, agricultural lands formed a sizable portion of the total extent of land to be acquired for the project at Gerugambakkam, Kolapakkam, Tharapakkam, Kovur and Manapakkam, where residential colonies have sprung up during the last two decades.

While the idea of adopting the Oragadam model was being pursued seriously for extending compensation for vacant lands, alternative sites with 'minimum' compensation were likely to be offered to those who had invested in immovable properties at the above-mentioned hamlets, sources said.

Meanwhile, a group of people who have formed the United People's Forum for Survival (UPFS) forum presented a memorandum to Collector Santosh K. Misra on January 21, urging the governments to reconsider the airport expansion project.

UPFS secretary Ms. Brindha said the execution of the airport expansion project would result in environment and ecological problems for those living in the areas abutting the Chennai Airport. It would also drain enormous amount of the exchequer in the form of compensation. The Airport Authority and the governments could consider switching over to a satellite-based navigation system to control air traffic instead of the existing radar based system.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/23/stories/2008012359490500.htm

People up in arms against Chennai airport expansion project

22-Jan-08

About 500 people, including 300 women, today laid a siege to the district collectorate in protest against the expansion of the Chennai international airport, fearing acquisition of their land. Agitators from Manapakkam, Kolapakkam, Kerugambakkam, Tharapakkam and Kovur, under the banner United People's Right to Life Movement, resorted to the stir, demanding that the authorities concerned reconsider the expansion project.

Headed by the Movement Secretary Brinda, they submitted a memorandum to District Collector Santosh K Mishra, demanding scrapping of the expansion project and go ahead only with the greenfield airport project.

The proposal to expand the airport across river Adyar and on its banks would displace people in Porur, Madhanandapuram, Mugalivakkam, Moulivakkam, Panicherry, Kovur, Kerugambakkam, Tharapakkam, Anagaputhur, Pammal, Polichalur, Kowl Bazaar and Manapakkam villages. The Rs 2,350 crore modernisation and expansion works at the airport, to be carried out by the Airports Authority of India, include creation of a parallel runway, taxiways, aprons and new passenger handling buildings.

The Government had announced provision of suitable compensation to the displaced, besides rehabilitating them in the first phase of the project itself. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had announced setting up of a new greenfield airport at Sriperumbudur and Tiruvallur taluks, apart from the expansion of the existing airport at Meenambakkam.

http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20080121/873740.html

Villagers oppose airport expansion, seek effective air traffic control

22-Jan-2008

Residents of five villages surrounding Chennai airport have asked the Tamil Nadu Government to consider alternative plans to manage the growing air traffic, instead of expanding the existing airport.This was the consensus at a meeting on Monday, convened by Kancheepuram District Collector Santhosh K Mishra to discuss grievances arising out of the likely takeover of private lands for the expansion of the Chennai airport.

The members representing the Makkal Vazvu Urimai Iyakkam said that several alternatives to manage higher air traffic volumes had been worked out by the experts.The present expansion plan, which envisages acquisition of 1,070 acres, will uproot 2,000 farmers from their agricultural lands, displace 5,000 living in huts and another 1,000 in concrete houses in the villages of Kolapakkam, Gerugambakkam, Manapakkam, Kovur and Tharapakkam.

The government's decision to allocate Rs 1,000 crores for land acquisition and another Rs 1,000 crore for the project is a sheer waste, the aggrieved people said.Instead of spending huge sums for rehabilitating the people, the government should consider operating small aircraft on the second runway. They should increase the landing and take-off speeds in such a manner to meet the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) standard of operating 50 flights an hour and implement satellite air traffic control rather than the radar system based on radio frequency.

Alternatively, the government can invest in green field airports in new areas rather than going ahead with the proposed expansion, without addressing the concerns of affected people, the residents said.


http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IET20080121214021

AAI to focus on infrastructure development

18-Jan-2008

Rapid expansion


Chennai’s airport was set to undergo a rapid expansion in the coming months. Some developments were under way—a second cross-runway was made operational last month, and Dr. Ramalingam said it would go a long way in preventing traffic congestion. “We have opened up the second runway in anticipation of future growth,” he said. “There are congestion problems in Mumbai and New Delhi, but when more flights come into Chennai we will not be caught unawares.”


Around Rs.100 crore would likely be spent on modernising the airport. Three parking bays would be added by January 31, at the cost of Rs.11 crore, taking the total number of bays to 68. The Rs.28-crore expansion of the international arrival hall would be completed by July. The terminal buildings would also be expanded, and air traffic control facilities upgraded.
The process of land acquisition to expand the airport was pending in court. Dr. Ramalingam said he expected a resolution in coming months. , though he did not comment on when this was likely to be resolved.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/18/stories/2008011857810600.htm

Residents stage hunger strike against airport expansion

15-Jan-2008

IN PROTEST: UPFFS members at the day-long hunger strike near the Tambaram Taluk office on Sunday. UPFFS is a forum unitedly formed by the affected people from Manapakkam, Kolapakkam, Gerugambakkam, Tharapakkam and Kovur.


TAMBARAM: Members of the United People’s Forum For Survival (UPFFS), an association of people living at Manapakkam, Kolapakkam, Gerugambakkam, Thaarapakkam and Kovur villages, staged a day-long hunger strike near the Tambaram Taluk office on Sunday, to protest against the proposal to acquire land for the Chennai airport expansion project.

The protestors said it was planned to acquire vast areas of developed land and also re-route a portion of the Adyar river, for the airport expansion project, the most important component of which was laying a new runway.

They said re-routing the river and building an elevated runway across it would cause severe hardships to residents of these villages and several others.
If the government went ahead with these works, an estimated five lakh people would be affected by flooding.

Land acquisition would affect not less than 5,000 people, Forum members told reporters. A permanent solution to the problem was developing a greenfield airport well outside city limits.


http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/15/stories/2008011554220600.htm

AAI foresees more mid-air mess

3-Jan-2008

The government, which is facing flak for not upgrading airports in time, however, tried to allay these fears. "All upgradation and modernisation work will be as per the new growth figures. By 2010, we will upgrade the communication and navigation systems and complete 35 non-metro airport. The modernisation of Chennai and Kolkata will also be completed by then. This will be just phase one of the airport revamp programme," AAI chairman K Ramalingam said.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Business/India_Business/AAI_foresees_more_mid-air_mess/articleshow/2670403.cms

Press Release - Ministry of Civil Aviation

27-Dec-2007

17. EXPANSION/MODERNISATION OF CHENNAI AIRPORTAn Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, has approved an Action plan for development of Chennai airport. The proposal involves expansion of international and domestic terminal building to handle additional 13 million passengers per annum and major airside work, including extension of secondary runway at a total estimated cost of Rs.1808 crores, for completion in June, 2010.



http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=34242