Expert panel approves SIA study report on Sabarimala airport

The committee also advised that estate workers who have been excluded due to labour disputes should also be included in the package.
Image used for representational purpose.
Image used for representational purpose.(File Photo)
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KOTTAYAM: In a significant development, the expert committee constituted to review the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) study report for the proposed Sabarimala Greenfield International Airport at Erumeli has approved the report, recommending urgent measures for the rehabilitation of the people impacted by the project.

The committee chaired by Prathapan, former additional director at the Social Justice Department, submitted its report to the government on Tuesday.

The committee has pointed out that the financial and social benefits that the state will receive from the project outweigh the social impact of the project. The committee recommended a special package for the workers, currently employed in the Cheruvally Estate, which is set to be acquired for the project.

The committee observed that the workers, who have been labouring in the estate for five generations, will have to face hardships when they are relocated to other villages or towns. Hence, they should be given proper awareness and counselling. The committee also advised that estate workers who have been excluded due to labour disputes should also be included in the package.

The land owners and other residents who were not initially included in the SIA report should also be considered when acquiring the land. The committee has also acknowledged the request of some residents in Karithodu, Manimala, outside the estate, to be excluded from the project area. Currently, the estate management covers medical expenses up to Rs 6,000 per month for some of its workers.

The committee has recommended that this expense be included in the overall package for these workers, who will be forced to leave the estate due to job loss as a result of the airport project.

The committee also recommended to consider the request of the management of Noyal Memorial LP School in Karithode to identify and acquire land for the relocation of the school. Moreover, the impacts on various shrines and religious institutions due to the project should be considered and addressed in a favourable manner.

In addition to this, the committee also acknowledged the suggestion in the SIA report to prioritise job opportunities for current residents of the project area during both the construction and operational phases of the airport.

The SIA report, prepared by a team from the School of Social Work at Bharata Mata College, highlights that the airport project will directly affect the livelihoods of 238 families in the Cheruvally Estate and require the relocation of 352 families.

Additionally, the project will involve the acquisition of seven places of worship, two schools, a hospital, a canteen, a ration store, and a labour office. With the completion of the SIA proceedings, a new notification for land acquisition will be issued under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act-2013 soon.

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