TBM Staff - Mumbai The Kerala government has accorded sanction for the acquisition of 1039.876 Hectares (2570 acres) of land in Erumeli South and Manimala of Kottayam district for the construction of a greenfield airport at Sabarimala.
The proposed plan of the state government is to construct the airport at Cheruvally Estate near Erumeli. In addition, 370 acres outside the estate will also be acquired as per the new order.
The order has been issued subject to two conditions. The social impact assessment conducted under the ambit of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, shall be examined by an expert committee and the director general of civil aviation and the Airports Authority of India approve that the identified site is fit for construction. These two conditions have been clearly mentioned in the order issued by additional chief secretary A Jayathilak.
The airport will have a 3,500 metres runway and will be located about 45km away from the temple town. Though a dispute over the ownership of the Cheruvally Estate in Manimala village is pending before the court, the government has decided to go ahead with the project on the belief that the airport will get the Centre’s nod. (Source TOI)
