Parandur Airport Push Faces Protests Over Land Rates, Ecological Concerns
The Tamil Nadu government has officially approved land compensation rates for the proposed greenfield airport at Parandur, Kancheepuram. With rates ranging between ₹35 lakh and ₹2.57 crore per acre, the move attempts to formalise acquisition across 13 villages. However, residents opposing the project claim the government is misrepresenting land values and attempting to divide communities with selective compensation strategies.
The state government’s notification pegs land prices using a three-tier compensation structure based on Guideline Land Values (GLV), sale values, and assumed negotiations. Compensation varies sharply across regions, with some areas like Attupurthi offered up to ₹2.58 crore per acre. In contrast, residents in Ekanapuram — the epicentre of protests — are offered significantly lower rates. Critics argue this disparity is a tactic to fragment the opposition by creating village-wise divisions. The government plans to acquire 3,774 acres of private land and alienate 1,972 acres of state land under the TN Acquisition of Lands for Industries Purposes Act. While the order outlines a one-time payout or ₹3,000 monthly annuity for 20 years, clarity on nearly 393 acres of land remains absent. Environmental groups and protesting residents argue that the state’s classification of GLV as equivalent to market value is inaccurate and misleading.
Community groups and environmental advocates contend that the official order lacks transparency and community consent. They say private negotiations, as claimed by the state, never occurred. Concerns also persist about Ekanapuram being directly within the flight path of the proposed runway, raising safety and displacement issues. The protests, ongoing since 2022, are rooted in environmental impact fears and the cultural significance of local agrarian land now slated for industrial repurposing. Experts note that the high compensation claims obscure the deeper issue — involuntary displacement and environmental disruption. With a projected cost of ₹21,591 crore, the airport could drastically transform the region’s green landscape. Protesters say compensation cannot replace heritage, livelihood, or ecological balance. Despite state assurances, opposition remains firm in Ekanapuram and neighbouring villages, where residents are vowing to continue their resistance until the Parandur airport project is entirely scrapped.
As Tamil Nadu pushes forward with its plans for the second Chennai airport, public resistance continues to mount in the fertile plains of Parandur. With contested compensation rates, environmental risks, and opaque negotiations at the centre of debate, the state’s infrastructure ambitions are clashing with citizen-led movements for land justice, ecological preservation, and transparent governance in one of Tamil Nadu’s most fertile belts.
