Kerala govt to go ahead with Sabarimala airport project

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite the queries raised by the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) on the proposed airport at Sabarimala, the government is going to implement the project. Government started preparations for site survey and drone survey of Cheruvally estate has been earmarked for the project.
A review meeting held by CM Pinarayi Vijayan on Sept 8 had assessed the project (categorized as a top priority infra project of the government), discussed its status and the steps that need to be taken immediately to speed up its implementation.
Quoting the observations of the director general of civil aviation (DGCA), the ministry of civil aviation had sought certain clarifications from the government while considering the application for project clearance. A decision was taken during the CM’s review to furnish a reply in this regard. The clearance from the ministry of defence is expected soon as Indian Air Force (IAF) has conveyed that it has no objection in granting site clearance.
But, social impact assessment study, soil test couldn’t be conducted due to pending litigations on possession of the designated land. “Whatever MoCA mentioned in the letter quoting DGCA’s report is part of routine administrative communication. The letter itself indicates that despite the guidelines on greenfield airports that the proposed airport may not satisfy, the project can still be cleared by the Centre,” said government sources.
The proposed site will require a considerable amount of preparatory work to make it suitable for the project. As per the environmental impact assessment report prepared by the consultant M/s Louis Berger Consulting Pvt Ltd, a preliminary analysis of the site topography indicates that the existing elevation varies from 40m to 170m, while the existing, average mean elevation is around 112m.
The observed site is challenging in terms of requirement of grading as there is a vast difference between maximum and minimum elevation. The central part of the project site is at higher elevation whilst the boundaries are at a lower elevation. Existing topography consists of moderately-high to steep slopes in a considerable area of the project site, the report said.
There are several other challenges, according to the consultant’s report. Though the proposed project does not fall within the 10km radius of the eco-sensitive boundary of Periyar Tiger Reserve, as the final notification of the eco-sensitive zone is yet to be published, a recommendation from the national board for wildlife may be required for the project.
It has been estimated that 130 structures and five common property resources will be impacted (approximately), including a church, a temple, a mosque and a hospital. The airport – which is estimated to have 800 passengers during peak hour by 2029-30 and 1,850 passengers during peak hour by 2049-50 – is expected to break even only in 60 years, said the consultant. This raises several questions on the economic viability of the project.