What happened (Parandur second airport cancelled)
Tamil Nadu cancelled the proposed second airport for the Chennai region at Parandur after prolonged delays, protests and opposition, and incomplete steps needed to make the project deliverable. Opposition focused on land acquisition, livelihood impacts, and concerns that nearby water bodies could increase flood risk for Chennai.
Background and earlier attempts for Chennai’s second airport
The Chennai second-airport plan went through multiple site and design changes before arriving at the Parandur stage.
Key milestones were:
In 1998, the second-airport idea started with land earmarked near Meenambakkam, but the proposal faced hurdles that prevented steady progress.In 2007, the plan shifted to Sriperumbudur with a proposal for four runways. That phase also faced controversy and stalled.In 2022, Tamil Nadu revived the second-airport plan using a Parandur site in Kancheepuram district, which triggered farmer protests linked to land acquisition, livelihood impacts, and flooding-related concerns around water bodies.
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