792 days and counting. That is for how long the villagers of Ekanapuram, about 60 km from Chennai, have been in a struggle against the proposed Parandur Greenfield Airport project. The protests are not just to safeguard their soil but for survival too.
The farmers at the village, whose fields were notified for acquisition on August 27 and September 2, petitioned the authorities at the Zone-2 Land Acquisition Office in Karai village on Tuesday, objecting to the surrender of their land. About 100 of them submitted signed copies of the petition to the authorities saying 'no'.
Prior to submitting the petition, village representatives sought clarification on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. They also sought information regarding prescribed procedures for acquiring land from owners such as reviewing villagers’ demands, justification for choosing the Parandur site, and the specifications of the Land Acquisition Acts under which the farmlands have been notified.
The subject of the petition, reviewed by The New Indian Express (TNIE), read: Clarification regarding Section 3(2) of the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purpose Act, 1997 — Objection to surrendering notified lands.
Section 3(2) of the 1997 Act specifies that, before publishing a land acquisition notice, the government should call upon landowners and other interested persons to show cause within the time specified in the notice as to why the land should not be acquired. The time period specified in the August 27 notice was 30 days.
TNIE spoke to representatives of the protest group -- Villagers Against Parandur Airport Movement -- who say they are firmly against the project to build what will be Chennai's largest airport.
"We have been protesting against the proposed Parandur Green Field Airport for 792 days now. As the TN government had refused to hear our pleas and published the first land acquisition notice for 154 acres in Ekanapuram village, we have raised objection to the acquisition within the 30-day timeframe specified in the notice," said G Subramanian, Secretary of the Villagers Against Parandur Airport Movement.
Subramanian added that "...we have come with the landowners to the office to firmly state that we will not give up the land, we will not support this project. We have expressed our objection to the first notice. Likewise, we will come back to object the second notice [published on September 2] as well. We condemn the unresponsive government."
The village representatives, RL Elango and Janardanan, shared similar sentiments. So do the villagers of Ekanapuram.
Life in Ekanapuram
A narrow mud road, running along the banks of a lake that is now a cluster of stagnant ponds blooming with lotus buds, leads to Ekanapuram village. Overlooking the lake stands a small temple. A blackboard hangs on the gate -- the number '792' is written in bold.
Turning towards the board, Desamma says, "It has been 792 days since the airport project was proposed, 792 days since we first started to protest against the airport. Every morning, we, five elderly women, sweep the temple entrance and gather for a meeting. We receive updates from protestors. Some days they will share good news, those nights we sleep well. Other days, we spend in distress."
Desamma married a farmer from Ekanapuram almost 60 years ago. She says her husband inherited a piece of agricultural land from his father.
"My father-in-law's forefathers cultivated the same piece of land," she says. "But how will I honour his [her father-in-law] memory if his land and his grave are both destroyed for the construction of an airport here?"
Hearing this Rani too tears up, adding amidst her sobs that "all we want is nothing more than our land. We do not ask for money, we do not want anything. We simply want to cherish this soil. If the government chooses to go ahead with the airport development, it will be over our dead bodies."
Both women, Desamma and Rani, vow to protect the land with their lives.
Why this very land when there is barren land here?
Janardanan points towards the lake and says, "According to the airport blueprint, one runway will be built over here."
The second runway will be built upon another lake on the other end of the village, he adds.
"A portion of the second runway in the existing Chennai Meenambakkam airport is built over the Adyar river flood basin. Every monsoon it gets flooded; in case of heavy rain the authorities are forced to halt operations. I don't understand why the government would willingly build runways directly upon lakes," wonders Venkatesan.
"It is a waste of money. If the government wants to construct an airport spanning 1500 acres or so, we can show them barren land here in the Parandur region itself. So many water bodies and farmlands need not be destroyed," says Janardanan.
Walking past a primary school that celebrated its centenary year recently, "I studied here. Many children now study here. I am not prepared to let go of memories I built here," says Janardanan.
He points at brightly coloured buildings and notes that they were all built in the past three years.
On the left are lush green fields. The path splits into two, one leading to the fields and other into the village.
United front against the airport
A group of women who have just completed their day's work walk past. Several women, above the age of 25 it seems, are employed under the 100-day work scheme. The women clean and maintain smaller water bodies.
Kannigaparameswari stops near the junction and asks, "Work for airport development had already been started in Pannur. Why did they abruptly discard plans to develop the airport in Pannur? Why have they chosen Parandur?"
She pauses. She bends down and picks up a fistful of sand.
"This soil gives us life. We cannot afford to send our children away. They are not talented enough to go abroad," she says with a smile.
"All we know is farming. I will not leave this land," she adds with determination.
Conspiracy theories spring up. Some villagers point out that there exists a water supply plant near Pannur owned by a DMK family member, adding that the now-infamous YouTuber Savukku Shankar had provided proof of benami land holdings in the area.
Two women are seen eating lunch near the fields. "What are you going to do? Will the authorities listen now at least? We're tired of talking to people," they say.
A few women remain in the field. They are planting crops for the next season.
"Most workers are from the SC community and many landowners are MBC," says Janardanan. The dominant caste in the region is the Vanniyar caste.
He talks about how people from both communities have agreed to let go of caste biases and present a united front against the government.
"We held a discussion with members and local leaders of popular political parties. They all agreed to take down identification flags and other markings," he says.
The fields are bordered by palm trees and tall grass. A creek runs along the perimeter. The creek flows through the other lake and connects to the Kosasthalaiyar river.
Panneerselvam points to the grass. The grass is an invasive species that suppresses the growth of crops.
"We cut down the grass, spray tons of pesticides and even trample it. It does not go away. But we continue to cultivate the land. Because it is all we own," he says.
"I could have built a big house there. But if I build on my farm, whatever I earn now will also be gone," he adds.
Standing in the midst of the farmlands, one can hear the swing of the sickle, the flap of wings, and a faint trickle of water in the creek.
"Why don't the people of Chennai understand the consequences of constructing over flood plains and water bodies? Have they not suffered enough?" says Venkatesan.
"Sundarrajan and Vetri Selvan, among others from Poovulagin Nanbargal, have advocated for the preservation of these water bodies. Aside from the villagers' livelihood perspective, the activists have put forth the ecological perspective," says Janardanan.
Socio-economic implications of airport development
The Parandur airport, which is going to be the second airport in Chennai, will be built upon 1963.17 hectares of fertile irrigated lands (1031.21 ha of wet agricultural land, 355.22 ha of dry agricultural land, and 576.74 ha of water bodies), 173 ha of government land and 36.56 ha of developed land.
The government promises to preserve wetlands and water bodies around the proposed airport. But passenger-friendly airports rarely remain on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by desolate villages and abandoned farmlands. The proposed highway and metro line connecting Chennai to the new airport will induce urbanisation and increase property rates. Even if the government attempts to arrest development, private parties may forcefully evict farmers from their farmlands.
In this case, residential and industrial towns such as Thirumapur, Sunguvarchathiram, Sriperumbudur, Irungattukottai, Oragadam and Poonamallee will be expanded to accommodate the sudden influx of migrant labour. This will endanger farmlands and water bodies, and therefore, the future of farmers.
Furthermore, sources said real-estate developers had purchased large swathes of land just beyond the boundaries of the proposed airport and have marketed plots priced at around Rs 4 lakhs per cent (0.01 acres) of land.
They also point out that the government has failed to safeguard the villagers' livelihoods and provide them with attractive alternate employment opportunities. If the government implements specialised schemes addressing these issues, villagers may be relieved of economic distress. However, compensation in cash payments and rehabilitation cannot sustain affected families in the long-term; even employment in sectors spawned by the development of the airport will prove to be insufficient for generational farmers.
While the revenue generated by industries may not be comparable to agricultural revenue, an appropriate valuation of the yield and its contribution to food security in the region may provide insights into the local economy. The airport may have lingering effects on dependent economies as well.
For instance, two rotations of rice crops are sold to private buyers and government agencies in Kancheepuram, in addition to oil seeds such as peanuts and sesame, and other grains. Cutting supply from this region will lead to a decline in food grain supply and farmers anticipate the entry of imported grain in local markets if local production is to be stopped.
The airport is considered a necessary investment by the government due to its proximity to industrial hubs and potential for future expansion. Although not included in current plans, references to an airport-reliant economy were made in government notices.
In August 2022, TN Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu said, "Every Rs100 spent on air transportation will generate benefits worth Rs 325 and for every 100 direct jobs created, 610 people will get indirect employment."
Parandur will be developed into an airport city soon after the airport is established, as have the areas surrounding the existing Chennai International Airport and other international airports in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Gurgaon.
"Develop the state, give incentives to promote agriculture, or let farmers be. Why should development come at the cost of farmers' wellbeing? Why does the government remain insensitive towards the very people who sustain their lives by satiating their hunger? Many nations are desperately trying to improve agriculture, but in our state, it is the opposite," responds a villager from Ekanapuram.
Socio-ecological consequences of airport development
The anticipated development around the airport is just as concerning as the airport development itself. According to the World Water Atlas, rapid urbanisation is exacerbating existing climate challenges. The organisation notes that water management infrastructure in the city cannot sustain the current population of over 12 million inhabitants and in order to support migrant population, strict resilience planning measures need to be taken.
A 2016 study by Lakshmi Manohar, an architect-urban designer currently pursuing her PhD in Neurourbanism, and KT Muthiah, an architect, reveals that most developments in Chennai disregard the natural gradient of the land, resulting in pronounced flooding.
Another 2023 publication by Satheesh Lakshmanan, an environmental journalist associated with Poovulagin Nanbargal, draws attention to natural disaster prevention mechanisms around the city: Several '3rd order streams' run from Palar river to nearby lakes in Sriperumbudur and Chembarambakkam, supplying potable water to Chennai.
Over 4000 smaller water bodies comprise a catchment area east of Chennai, minimising flooding during monsoon. The green cover surrounding Chennai provides relief during summer as concrete structures tend to trap carbon dioxide and induce an urban heating effect.
The Chennai socio-ecological system has already been irrevocably damaged by unregulated development. Coupled with the consequences of climate change -- oppressively high temperatures and erratic monsoons -- further industrialisation and urbanisation could render the city uninhabitable is the fear.
Parandur Airport development will destroy all natural mechanisms that make living in the city bearable, say environmentalists.
These natural mechanisms are maintained by agriculturalists who rely on an intricate system of canals and culverts from rain-fed lakes to irrigate the fields. The irrigation system followed in the region is reminiscent of ancient water harvesting techniques in the region, note the environmentalists TNIE spoke to.
Questioning the rationale behind the government's Chennai-centric neoliberalism policy, Vetri Selvan, an environmental advocate associated with Poovulagin Nanbargal, argues that the infrastructural projects benefit industrialists and allied private players while depriving the public of quality living conditions.
Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), which is the nodal agency for the airport project, has formed a high-level committee with seven members including hydrogeological experts from Anna University and IIT-M, and state government officials from the Water Resources Department, the Commissionerate of Land Administration, TIDCO and the Kancheepuram Collectorate. The committee was led by former bureaucrat Machendranathan. The committee had examined data regarding the land and waterbodies
An RTI requesting the release of the hydrogeological report produced by the high-level committee formed by TIDCO was recently filed by Poovulagin Nanbargal.
On Tuesday, 10 September 2024, TIDCO responded to the RTI application. saying the report cannot be released as it contains sensitive information that might endanger the state’s economic growth.
In response to a media query by TNIE, Kancheepuram collector Kalaiselvi Mohan said, "Any queries regarding the status of the hydrogeological report should be directed to TIDCO. They will have all the answers."
An emailed set of media queries to TIDCO by TNIE for this report did not elicit any response.
The protesting body, Villagers Against Parandur Airport Movement, however, says they will escalate the issue.
"We will take TIDCO to court for clarification on the hydrological report," said its representatives.
Why is the TN government enthusiastic about a project currently under review?
In pursuit of the 'one-trillion-dollar economy' dream, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin had proposed several grand infrastructural projects and sought generous foreign investments for the state.
A number of new infrastructure projects have been proposed in addition to the expansion of existing facilities to promote connectivity between industrial hotspots in and around Chennai. However, the new airport project could be one of the most contentious among these.
The CM announced the new international airport project in Chennai in a press release dated August 2, 2022. While the Centre had given the site approval for the airport on July 9, 2024, the project received the Terms of Reference (ToR) from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to go ahead with the environmental impact assessment on September 9.
While the government is firm on the airport project and saying the same would help transform Tamil Nadu into a one-trillion-dollar economy, the critics argue that the airport will have serious implications for the local economy and the surrounding environment.