Thiruvananthapuram: The KGS Aranmula International Airport Ltd (KAIAL) hopes to restart construction of India’s first private international airport soon.
The federal ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) has listed the Rs20bn project for “finalisation of terms of reference for development of the international airport” extending to Aranmula, Mazhuppassery and Kidangannoor villages for January 6.
This is despite the resistance from opposition politicians, environmental activists and religious fundamentalists in Kerala who had made a representation to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government calling for dropping the project.
They allege the project would lead to large-scale destruction of the environment and defile the nearby temple.
Supporters for project, including the local MP and MLA, argue that the sites of the corporate airport at Kochi and the upcoming one at Kannur were also ecologically fragile but no objections had been raised.
The airport coming up in the central Kerala district of Pathanamthitta, home to a large number of expatriates, is also expected to wean away a major chunk of passengers from the Kochi as well as the state-run Thiruvananthapuram airports.
The company has assigned consultants SGS, which offers inspection, verification, testing and certification services, to prepare the environmental impact assessment (EIA).
29/12/14 Ashraf Padanna/Gulf Times
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The federal ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) has listed the Rs20bn project for “finalisation of terms of reference for development of the international airport” extending to Aranmula, Mazhuppassery and Kidangannoor villages for January 6.
This is despite the resistance from opposition politicians, environmental activists and religious fundamentalists in Kerala who had made a representation to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government calling for dropping the project.
They allege the project would lead to large-scale destruction of the environment and defile the nearby temple.
Supporters for project, including the local MP and MLA, argue that the sites of the corporate airport at Kochi and the upcoming one at Kannur were also ecologically fragile but no objections had been raised.
The airport coming up in the central Kerala district of Pathanamthitta, home to a large number of expatriates, is also expected to wean away a major chunk of passengers from the Kochi as well as the state-run Thiruvananthapuram airports.
The company has assigned consultants SGS, which offers inspection, verification, testing and certification services, to prepare the environmental impact assessment (EIA).
29/12/14 Ashraf Padanna/Gulf Times
