COIMBATORE: Following the continuous protest by farmers and residents of Chinniyampalayam and Irugur in Coimbatore, the district administration and the Airport Authority of India have decided to construct an Approach Road along the perimeter wall only at the eastern part of the Airport and to give a 10.5 metre width road to the remaining portions up to the western end that connects SIHS Colony.
Farmers and residents are protesting the Airports Authority of India's proposal for a 1,917-metre-long, 60-metre-wide approach road for the Coimbatore Airport expansion, citing that a planned perimeter wall will sever access to their lands. They are demanding the reinstatement of 10.5-metre-wide service roads to maintain connectivity. The issue has been carried in the TNIE continuously.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the farmers and residents from Chinniyampalayam and the surrounding areas stopped the earthworks carried out by the Airport Authority of India to build a perimeter wall.
The AAI officials told them that the district administration has given a nod to them to continue the work, and they are going to provide 10.5 metres of space for the service road facility to the public, which they claimed will be developed by the state government. However, the farmers who agreed to the decision asked to stop the work until it is announced in writing.
"We also demanded that the six-lane road with service roads on both sides be extended through the stretch. We cannot allow them without a proper permission letter from the district administration," said R Velumani, convenor of Vivasaayigal Vazhvurimai Padhukapu Iyakkam.
A senior official told TNIE that approximately 2 km of ROW road is proposed for the Airport from Neelambur (opposite to Le Meridien Hotel).
It goes through an abandoned bypass. It will be laid for 60 metres in width and service roads (10.5 metres wide) on both sides. It helps the public with their access, and it will be developed through the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO). This facility will pass through the private lands, where it starts to travel along the airport campus.
While one side of it will be the airport premises, the other side will be private lands, which will be around 1,750 metres long). The airport authority has built a compound wall, leaving a 10.5 metre width road outside the wall. It can be used by the public to access their lands and can easily go to the SIHS colony, the officer said.
With the collector approving the project, they had also planned to construct a roundabout on this approach road to give connectivity to the L&T Bypass. It is noted that the state government has recently issued orders for the further acquisition of 7.44 acres of land, which is meant to connect a 200-feet road from the proposed new airport terminal with the L&T Bypass of Salem-Kochi Highway.
Following this, the farmers on Saturday met Sulur MLA NM Sukumar to discuss it and spoke with the District administration to sort out the issue officially.
