Bhubaneswar: The proposed international airport in Odisha’s Puri encountered significant hurles with Environment Ministry’s Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) deferring clearance due to concerns over potential threats to Olive Ridley turtles, Irrawaddy dolphins, and migratory birds, as well as the ecological impact of removing 13,000 trees that shield the coastline from cyclones.
The FAC, according to the minutes of its June 24 meeting, stressed a precautionary approach and directed the Odisha government to seek recommendations from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). “Keeping in view the concerns raised with regard to the migration routes, threats, and conservation requirements of Olive Ridley turtles, Irrawaddy dolphins along the Puri coast and migratory birds coming to Chilka Lake, the state shall seek the comments and recommendations of WII on the subject matter,” it said.
The FAC has also asked the government to justify the felling of 13,000 trees, mostly of casuarina, cashew and acacia species, and submit a mitigation plan for “climate eventualities” in the state prone to cyclones.
THE PROJECT
The Shree Jagannath International Airport is being planned over 471 hectares at Sipasarubali in Puri district at an estimated cost of Rs 5,631 crore. The Union Aviation Ministry accorded in-principle approval on May 5 after Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi pushed for fast-tracking to the greenfield project. The state government had requested permission to use 27.88 hectares of forest land for the project.
THE INSPECTION REPORT
This followed a detailed site inspection report by the regional office in which it had highlighted potential threats to turtle nesting sites in the Brahmagiri forest division, which is at a distance of 2.3 km from the proposed airport site, as well as to millions of migratory birds that frequent the Chilika estuarine lake.
The office also flagged the risk of bird strikes to aircraft.
The vulnerable coastal belt in Odisha, which is prone to cyclones, could face intensified climatic risks without the green buffer, it cautioned.
It further noted that the state government ought to have declared that more forest land was required for the project, based on official records. A 1,400-metre boundary wall was illegally constructed on the forest land allocated for the project, violating the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, and Coastal Regulation Zone rules, it added.
STATE’S RESPONSE
According to data submitted by the state to FAC, as of March 20 this year, 345 turtle nests were recorded in Brahmagiri, from which nearly 40,000 eggs were collected and 388 hatchlings released into the sea. It further stated that a site-specific wildlife conservation plan could be formulated, which would include detailed mitigation measures. On Irrawaddy dolphin concerns, the state informed that the Zoological Survey of India’s Gopalpur regional centre is conducting a study.
Allaying the project’s impact on routes of migratory birds, the state argued that flights from eastern to southern cities already operate in the same airspace.
Last month, the state government had submitted additional details to the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) along with the bird and wetland study reports and sought statutory clearances at the earliest. It had mentioned about felling 13,504 trees of 1,291 species for the project and assured to monitor the biodiversity of the area during the construction phase. The project area, it said, doesn’t include important habitat for birds and animals.
“Since the proposed project area is vulnerable to tsunami and cyclones due to its proximity to the coast of Bay of Bengal, cyclone shelters will be planned as part of mitigation measures. Moreover, a comprehensive disaster management plan will be prepared in order to strengthen the efforts to mitigate the impact of hazards,” the Transport department informed EAC.