The preparatory work for the hydrogeological study for the airport at Parandur has begun. The Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) has now asked the Water Resources Department (WRD) to provide a host of data for the study, sources said.
The farmers of the villages in and around Parandur and environmental activists had flagged many concerns about the issues that could emerge due to constructing the airport at this location. Following this, the State government had formed a high-level committee comprising experts from various departments and institutions, including Anna University, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, TIDCO and WRD. This seven-member team will be headed by the retired IAS officer.
After the committee met recently, they had asked the WRD to collect data and compile a report soon. “We have asked them to provide details like flood level, rainfall data and pattern for the past few decades, groundwater and geological conditions and suggestions to protect the waterbodies in the area. They will give provide the data shortly,” an official of the State government said.
The hydrogeological study will be completed in about six months, but the expert committee will continue to provide assistance to TIDCO throughout the project period until construction is completed, another source said.
Parandur in Kancheepuram, where the State government intends to build a second airport for the city at a cost of ₹20,000 crore, is about 59 km southwest from the airport in Meenambakkam. Though 4,791 acres of land has been identified for the airport, sources said, the boundary had not been decided yet.
Meanwhile, TIDCO will soon appoint a consultant to prepare the Techno Economic Feasibility Report for the project.
