Kerala: Sabarimala International Airport Gets Green Signal From Union Environment Ministry Panel

The Union Environment Ministry panel has recommended the grant of standard terms of reference (TOR) for the Kerala government's proposal for a greenfield Sabarimala international airport.

The project's anticipated cost is Rs 3,900 crore, which includes Rs 260 crore for land and Rs 3,400 crore for capital expenditure.

According to officials, this will allow the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) Limited, the project proponent, to plan and design an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and provide a format and structure for the project.

Sabarimala International Airport is a proposed greenfield airport to be built in Erumeli (also known as Erumely) near Sabarimala temple, in the Kottayam district of Kerala.

The proposed airport's location is Cheruvally Estate in Erumeli, Kottayam District, which covers around 2,570 acres of land.

The Sabarimala temple is part of the Western Ghats and is one of India's holiest shrines. Currently, the hill shrine can only be reached by road. The temple receives nearly 50 million pilgrims each season. Hence, the airport is considered a solution to ease traffic during the pilgrimage season.

On 30 December 2022, the Kerala government issued an order for the acquisition of 2,570 acres in Erumeli South and Manimala villages under Kanjirappally taluk. It includes 307 acres outside the Cheruvally Estate.

In June 2020, the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) submitted a proposal under Greenfield Airports (GFA) Policy to the ministry for the grant of site clearance, for the development of the Sabarimala airport in the state

The KSIDC's proposal was considered in consultation with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Ministry of Defence (MoD) and KSIDC, as per GFA Policy.

Last month, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the ministry met in New Delhi and recommended the TOR.

The EAC observed that the proposed site appears to be the best alternative among the sites examined and recommended the proposal for the grant of standard TOR for airports, according to the PTI report.

The KSIDC and its consultant presented a detailed overview of the three alternative sites they had considered for the project during their presentation to the EAC.

The project was primarily intended to serve the pilgrims of the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala and boost the tourism and local economies of Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, and Idukki districts.

The proponent informed the EAC that the project site lies outside the Eco Sensitive Area (ESA) of the Western Ghat and submitted a certificate from the Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Environment), Government of Kerala, to support this claim.

The proposed airport project falls outside the 10 km radius of the Ecologically Sensitive Zone of Periyar Tiger Reserve.

In April this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the clearance of the site for a greenfield airport project at Kottayam by the Civil Aviation Ministry as "great news for spiritual tourism".

On 13 April, the Civil Aviation Ministry informed the KSIDC about the site clearance for an airport near the famous Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala.

The Social Impact Assessment of Land Acquisition draft report for the project, released last month, recommended the mitigation and compensation of possible negative impacts resulting from the proposed land acquisition from Erumeli South and Manimala villages in Kottayam district for the construction of the greenfield airport.

The study found that acquiring land for the airport could displace local communities, including farmers and landowners, resulting in the loss of livelihoods, social disruption, and potential loss of cultural heritage and traditions.

Furthermore, the acquisition of land for the airport could cause local communities to lose their property rights, which could have significant social and economic impacts, particularly for marginalised or vulnerable groups who may struggle to assert their rights.

In light of these findings, the study recommends compensating affected landowners in accordance with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act 2013, as well as the 2015 rules framed by Kerala, and the resettlement procedures issued by the Kerala Revenue Department in 2015 and 2017.

The proposed project would require 1039.8 hectare of land from Erumeli South and Manimala villages of Kanjirapally taluk in Kottayam district.

The government has proposed to acquire 916.27 hectare of land from Cheruvally Estate and 123.53 hectare of land from both Manimala and Erumeli South villages of Kanjirapally taluk.

The proposed SH59 (Hill Highway) is located near the site, which is 50 km from Pamba, an important pilgrimage place closely connected to Sabarimala temple, and 40 km from Kottayam town.

The site's proximity to Pamba allows for easy connectivity, while its distance ensures no disturbance to the Sabarimala temple and its activities.

According to KSIDC, the project site's geotechnical investigations have confirmed its suitability for setting up an airport.

The project, when commissioned, will make it the fifth international airport in Kerala.

Once the project is finished, the airport will see an increase in traffic from 16.9 lakh (domestic and foreign passengers included) in 2026 to 32.9 lakh in 2035 and 64.2 lakh in 2052.

In terms of cargo, the airport would handle 4.45 metric tonnes in 2026; this amount would rise to 7.85 metric tonnes in 2035; and 14.81 metric tonnes in 2052.

Longest Runway

The proposed Sabarimala airport would have the longest runway of Kerala’s four international airports (Thiruvananthapuram, Calicut, Cochin, and Kannur).

The runway at the proposed Sabarimala airport will be 3,500 metres long, and 45 metres wide, and will have 7.5-metre off-shoulders on both sides.

Whereas the current runways in Thiruvananthapuram and Cochin are each 3,400 metres long, Calicut's is 2,860 metres long and Kannur Airport's runway is 3,050 metres long, with room to expand to 4,000 metres.