Chennai, Aug 1 (BPNS)

The waiting period for a second airport in Tamil Nadu’s capital, Chennai is almost over with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India going along with the choice of the Tamil Nadu state government.

The Union minister of state for Civil Aviation, V.K. Singh in a reply to a question from Rajyasabha MP from the state, Kanimozhi NVN Somu said that the Tamil Nadu government has short-listed Parandur as the site for the Greenfield airport. The state government will have to submit a proposal to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for grant of site clearance for the airport site.

It is to be noted that the Tamil Nadu state government had short-listed four sites –Pannur, Parandur, Tiruporur, and Padalam for the second airport at Chennai. The Airport Authority of India team visited all the four shortlisted sites and submitted a report to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India.

Two sites Pannur and Parandur were finally shortlisted and after several rounds of technical and other feasibility studies, the Ministry of Civil aviation had a meeting with the Tamil Nadu state government. Tamil Nadu industries minister Thangam Thenarasu who was part of the discussion had told media persons that the Central government had expressed its willingness to go along with the recommendations of the Tamil Nadu government.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has in its pre-feasibility study recommended Pannur as the ideal choice for the second airport at Chennai but the state government had found Parandur as the ideal site after its own Obstacle Limitation Surface survey and Techno-Economic Feasibility studies.

The ease of land acquisition and safety and environmental clearances were also taken into account by the state government in choosing Parandur as the second airport in Chennai.