The Tamil Nadu government has accelerated land acquisition for the expansion of Chennai airport, with revenue officials working to acquire 217 acres across Manappakkam, Kolappakkam and Kaul Bazaar, according to a report by Dinamalar and a revenue department official quoted in it.
The activity follows the state government’s decision to focus on expanding the existing airport at Meenambakkam after announcing that the proposed second airport at Parandur would be dropped. The report said passenger and cargo traffic at Chennai airport had continued to rise, creating a requirement to improve the facility for future demand.
The land acquisition is being handled through officials appointed for the airport expansion process. An office for the work is expected to operate from the Alandur taluk office, with district revenue officers and other officials assigned after officers previously appointed for the Parandur project were moved to other responsibilities.
The current acquisition relates to land covered by a 2007 government order. Under that order, 1,069.99 acres were identified for acquisition in Manappakkam, Kolappakkam, Kerugambakkam and Tharapakkam. The Airports Authority of India did not proceed with using the land, after which 852.88 acres were released from the acquisition proposal in 2011, the revenue official said.
The remaining 217 acres had continued to be part of the acquisition process. The official said action was now being taken in Manappakkam, Kolappakkam and Kaul Bazaar, and that the acquisition work was in its final stage. The report also said the government was yet to issue instructions on selecting and acquiring any additional land required for the airport expansion.
The shift in focus changes the immediate land and administrative pathway for Chennai’s airport capacity plans. The Parandur proposal had envisaged a second airport spread over 5,600 acres through a public-private partnership, with administrative approval granted by the Tamil Nadu government in October 2023. The Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation had undertaken the process of acquiring about 3,700 acres from landowners, farmers and village residents for that project, according to the report.
For residents and landowners in the areas covered by the current proposal, the next steps will depend on the revenue department’s acquisition proceedings and the government’s instructions on any further land requirement. The supplied report does not provide details on compensation, a construction schedule or the final design and capacity of the expanded airport. Revenue officials said the remaining acquisition work was being expedited while the government considers the broader land requirement.
