Cyclone Mandous brought heavy rain to several places in coastal Tamil Nadu, including Kancheepuram where Chennai’s second airport is proposed to be built. Parandur and 12 other neighbouring villages were inundated and water channels flooded. Visuals from Eganapuram, where the runway for the proposed project is to be built, show the paddy fields inundated with rainwater.
Residents say that the region always floods during excessive rainfall, and that due to the topography, the water drains into the Kosasthalaiyar river. However, the structures of the proposed airport will hinder this and make the flooding situation worse, they say. RL Elango, a resident from Eganapuram, told TNM, “We can see that the government is ready to give alternative land, jobs, and settlements for the residents. But what technology will help them to change the course of the water? The excess water from the lakes will join the Kosasthalaiyar river, and later it will join the sea. The proposed project will definitely interfere with the natural flow of the water.”
The flooding shines a light on the concerns regarding the project, at a time when the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO) has floated a tender, inviting international competitive bids from consultants to prepare a Detailed Techno-Economic Report (DTER) for it. The DTER is required to avail statutory clearances and for assistance in conducting bid process management for the proposed development model for the greenfield airport.
Regarding the proposed site for the project, many experts and environmental activists have already raised their concerns over the safety of the airport, as the site has many water bodies and wetlands. Poovulagin Nanbargal, a Tamil Nadu-based environmental protection organisation, in its seven-page report mentioned that the area is primarily made up of wetlands, and that the construction of an airport will lead to flooding and loss of natural habitats. The organisation also warned the state government of an ecological disaster if it goes ahead with the construction of the airport in Parandur.
The impact of #CycloneMandous left #Parandur and neighboring villages inundated. The flooding shines a light on the concerns of many experts. They said the site is not suitable for the project & it will be a disaster if the government is moving ahead with #ChennaiAirport project
— Nithya (@NityaPandian) December 11, 2022
In air safety expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan’s opinion, the project will be a “disaster”. Speaking to TNM, he said that the soil testing, if done correctly, will establish it is not suitable for runway construction with proper drainage qualities. “If they cover the area with 4000 acres of concrete, all this water will flow toward the old airport and join the Adyar river upstream of Chembarambakkam. If just 10 cm of rain can cause (this amount of flooding), the damage to Chennai will be enormous,” he said.
Eganapuram Residents checking water level in waterbodies
Residents of Parandur and 12 other neighbouring villages, which would be affected by the project, have been protesting against it ever since it was announced. The state government has offered up to three times the market value for their land and properties, but the residents have not relented. The protest reached its 135th day, with residents showing up despite the flooding and cyclone situation and expressing disappointment with the TIDCO for floating the tender.
Residents from Parandur planned to conduct a foot march towards Raj Bhavan next week, as there was no development in their talks with the Tamil Nadu government. Earlier this year, a group of residents announced plans for a foot march on October 17 toward the Legislative Assembly, the day the state assembly session was set to begin. However, the protest was called off following discussions with Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu, Ministers of Public Works and Rural Industries EV Velu, and TM Anbarasan. Thennarasu promised the residents that their concerns would be conveyed to Chief Minister MK Stalin.
"We planned to conduct a foot march towards the district collector's office first, but she repeatedly said that the issue cannot be solved by herself. So now we are planning to meet Governor RN Ravi " Elango said.
It is to be noted that the TIDCO had earlier denied a request by a Right To Information activist to share the pre-feasibility report of the project on November 15, citing a clause in the RTI Act. "The information sought is exempted from disclosure under section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act,” TIDCO said in response to an RTI application filed by a Chennai-based activist.