Parandur Airport: DMK's Eco-Activism Comes Back To Bite It

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government's commitment to advancing the second airport for Chennai at Parandur is being tested by resistance from onetime allies.

These allies, once backed by the DMK to obstruct and derail the Salem-Chennai expressway project during the AIADMK's rule, are now rallying against the Parandur airport, which the MK Stalin government wants to go through.

While protests against it have been going on for months, the project has come under the spotlight once more due to the recent floods in Chennai.

One of the main reasons for the opposition to the airport is that it will reportedly be built over 2,600 acres of wetlands.

The significance of wetlands has come under sharp focus as south Chennai areas like Velachery, Perumbakkam, and Sholinganallur grapple with severe consequences. These regions, among the hardest hit, are contending with encroachments on vital wetlands, including the Pallikaranai marsh.

There's a growing concern that these encroachments have been obstructing the natural flow of stormwater, exacerbating the impact of floods.

Speaking to The Hindu, environmental activist G Sundarrajan of the NGO Poovulagin Nanbargal, said that the wetlands in the project area contribute to reducing the intensity of flooding in Chennai.

Among the other concerns expressed by him are that the project could disrupt the Kamban canal, which connects over 80 waterbodies.

Those opposing the expressway had stated that along with thousands of farmers losing their agricultural land, the project would pass through areas designated as reserve forests, thus adversely affecting wildlife.

The DMK government, once vocal about environmental concerns in the Salem-Chennai Expressway project, now finds itself in a predicament as similar concerns hinder its plans for the Parandur airport.

Interestingly, the DMK has dropped its opposition to the expressway after coming to power. The party is not objecting to the project now, leading to accusations that the party had protested against the project while in opposition, only for political reasons. The issue was made part of the party's campaign in the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly elections.

It has been trying to bring the airport project back on track by addressing some of the environment-related concerns raised by the activists — like forming a hydro-ecological committee to come up with ways to construct the airport by mitigating the impact to waterbodies.

However, the protests against the project continue to rage.

The situation has become a litmus test for Chief Minister M K Stalin. On one hand, the city urgently requires a second airport to manage the escalating traffic, while on the other hand, he must navigate the discontent of a faction accusing the party of flip-flopping on infrastructure projects, farmers, and environmental policies since assuming power.