Mon Feb 24 01:56:12 UTC 2025: ## Farmers Threaten Chennai Airport Protest
**Chennai, February 24, 2025** – Farmers in Tamil Nadu have threatened to besiege the state Assembly on April 15th if the government proceeds with plans to build a new airport at Parandur in Kancheepuram district. This comes after a Sunday rally where CPI(M) leader P. Shanmugam reminded the ruling DMK of its election promise not to use farmland for development without farmer consent.
Shanmugam, along with several experts and activists, voiced strong opposition to the project. Former Madras High Court Judge Hari Parandaman argued that expanding the existing Meenambakkam airport or utilizing the Officers Training Academy would be more efficient than building a new one, warning that a Parandur airport could hinder the development of airports in Madurai, Coimbatore, and Tiruchi.
Environmental activist Poovulagu Sundar highlighted the project’s potential to worsen flooding and increase temperatures in already-hot Chennai. He suggested developing smaller airports in other cities instead. Water management expert S. Janakarajan raised concerns about the project’s impact on numerous waterbodies in the area, potentially causing significant hydrological disruptions. He noted discrepancies between the official count and local reports of affected water bodies.
The government is urged to release the expert committee report on the project’s feasibility. The escalating tensions signal a major challenge for the Tamil Nadu government as it weighs the economic benefits of a new airport against the environmental and social concerns of affected communities.
First Piper 