Puri Airport Under Cloud As Environment Ministry Raises Security & Ecological Concerns

Bhubaneswar: The proposed international airport in Odisha’s Puri faces uncertainty as Ministry of Environment has postponed the state government’s application on the grounds of national security and ecological threat.

According to sources, the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, in a meeting on November 28, postponed the state government’s application to divert 27.88 hectare of forest land for the airport, raising concerns over the site’s proximity to INS Chilika, a training base of the Indian Navy.

The committee, which studies potential impacts of mining, industrial and infrastructure projects on forest land, has also expressed concern over Puri’s proximity to Satapada, which is famous for the Irrawaddy Dolphins. It has raised the issue of potential adverse impacts on the mass nesting ground of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles. Besides, it has questioned the necessity of a greenfield airport in Puri while the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar is 52 km away.

The FAC has also questioned the construction of 1,400-metre boundary wall around the forest land in the proposed airport site before obtaining clearance from the Environment Ministry. It was allegedly done in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification 2019.

The Environment Ministry’s concern has raised question on the site clearance granted by the Ministry of Aviation to the proposed airport on September 22, 2023 when BJD was in power in the state. The BJP ousted the BJD in the last Assembly elections to form the government.

“The BJD government zeroed in upon Puri not only because it is a pilgrimage site because of the Jagannath Temple but is also a popular tourist destination owing to its pristine sea beaches. Puri town has the unique potential of drawing in tourists and pilgrims alike. Further, the proposed site is close to the Sun Temple of Konark which has been declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The site is also close to Satapada, another tourist destination that is famous for the Irrawaddy Dolphins,” NewsClick quoted BJD Rajya Sabha member Subhasish Khuntia as saying.

The airport is proposed in an area of 471.401 hectare (HA), including 27.887 HA of forest land and 89.632 HA private land. The private land has already been acquired by the state government, Khuntia said.