The Kerala government is again exploring the possibility of providing air connectivity to Wayanad by constructing an airstrip to cater to the demands of the tourism and business sectors.
Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has been asked to do a pre-feasibility study for setting up an airstrip there, official sources said.
The Transport Department had earlier issued a notification based on the administrative sanction accorded by the government.
The initiative comes almost seven years after a move to set up a feeder airport at Panamaram in the district was kept in abeyance by the government following protests from farmers and environmentalists.
The site was shortlisted from the three locations identified by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) after a feasibility study. Elston Estate at Cheekkalloor and Mathamangalam in Noolpuzha panchayat were the other two sites identified by the district administration.
Ecological consequences
The farmers at Panamaram feared that the proposal would affect the livelihood of nearly 2,000 families, including tribesmen. It was also pointed out the aerial distance between the proposed site and the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary was around a kilometre and an airstrip would be detrimental to the flora and fauna there.
The Kerala State Biodiversity Board had opposed the airstrip as it would have negative ecological consequences as the site was a wetland, a natural breeding area for several bird species, and a home to tribal people.
The AAI had even granted clearance for setting up the project at the site identified by the State. The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) appointed IFCI Limited, ICRA, and IACS to conduct a Techno Economic Feasibility (TEF) study and an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA).
A top CIAL official told The Hindu that the decision for the pre-feasibility study for the airstrip had been taken without much homework.
