CHENNAI: Uncertainity has again started clouding over the future of Chennai’s long-planned second airport at Parandur, as residents of Ekanapuram and surrounding villages are expecting TVK chief Vijay, whose party emerged as the major political force, to halt the land acquisition, in line with his election promise.
The project, which secured in-principle approval from the Union government last year, is intended to ease capacity constraints at Chennai International Airport. During his campaign, Vijay had said he was not opposed to infrastructure development but was against the choice of Parandur, citing environmental risks and the displacement of thousands of families. He had also promised that he would legally challenge the project and support residents protesting against it for over 1,000 days.
The villagers said they expect the actor-turned politician to honour that commitment. “These things can be discussed only after the new government is formed,” said G Subramanian, secretary of the Ekanapuram Village People and Farmers Welfare Board, after meeting TVK leaders in Chennai to congratulate Vijay on his electoral win. He added the state could explore an alternative site, while the current land could be repurposed for industrial use.
The state government officials declined to comment on the project’s status.
The proposed airport site, about 70 km from Chennai, spans over 2,325 hectares (5,746 acres) across 13 villages in Kancheepuram and Sriperumbudur taluks. Of this, 3,774 acres are privately owned patta land, and 1,972 acres belongs to the government.
Compensation negotiations are being conducted under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The officials estimate payouts between Rs 1,549 crore and Rs 1,822 crore, though villagers say formal consultations are yet to begin.
More than 1,000 families face displacement, including around 650 from Ekanapuram, the epicentre of the protests. The state had offered 285 sq ft houses under its rehabilitation plan, but the residents are nor ready to budge.
Environmental concerns have further complicated the project, with activists highlighting the presence of multiple waterbodies in the proposed site. Vijay’s support has elevated what was a local agitation into a politically sensitive issue.
The uncertainty revives memories of an earlier failed attempt to build a second airport near Sriperumbudur. In 2007, the then DMK government under M Karunanidhi had approved a 4,000-acre site, but the project was eventually shelved as land acquisition costs surged, particularly after the 2013 land acquisition law came into force.
At the time, the state owned only about 800 acres of the required land, and the acquisition costs were estimated to render the project unviable.
Tamil Nadu’s search for a second airport dates back to 1999, when the Airports Authority of India and the state government began exploring options.
Multiple sites – including areas near Tambaram, Maraimalai Nagar and Sriperumbudur – were evaluated, but none progressed to execution.
With political opposition intensifying and land acquisition yet to gain traction, the Parandur project now faces a critical test of both policy continuity and the state’s ability to balance infrastructure expansion with local resistance.
