BHUBANESWAR : The proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport at Puri has got a big boost with the Centre according in-principle approval for the diversion of 27.8 ha forest land required for the greenfield project.
In a communication to the Odisha government, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) stated that Stage-I (in-principle) approval under the provisions of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, has been granted for diversion of 27.887 hectares of forest land in Puri division for construction of the airport. The approval follows due examination of the proposal by the Ministry’s Advisory Committee (AC) two months ago.
The Committee, in its meeting on February 27, 2026, minutes, has made it clear that the approval has been granted on condition that the state government will ensure the user agency implements mitigation measures and other important recommendations derived from the impact assessment studies and site specific wildlife management plan developed as per the recommendations of Wildlife Institute of India and Zoological Survey of India.
The state has been asked to comply with 33 different conditions for grant of the stage-II (final) clearance. The MoEFCC has asked the state to take up compensatory afforestation in 29.939 ha of non-forest land.