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{{Use Indian English|date=May 2013}}

'''Aranmula International Airport''' was an airport project planned to be built at [[Aranmula]], [[Pathanamthitta]] district of [[Kerala]] in [[India]], at a cost of {{INRConvert|20|b}}. The airport never received the necessary clearances and the project was abandoned. The airport was proposed to be built on about {{convert|700|acres|sqkm}} of land. The controversial project<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/kerala/popular-agitation-against-aranmula-airport-enters-400th-day/article4328392.ece | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | title=Popular agitation against Aranmula airport enters 400th day | date=21 January 2013}}</ref> faced strong protest from environmentalists and opposition parties of Kerala. After the Supreme Court of India ratified an order of [[National Green Tribunal]] verdict declaring Aranmula Airport Project in violation of environmental requirements, the Govt of India withdrew its sanction for the Airport leading to the termination of the project.

==History==
The Kerala government had provided an in principle approval for the airport during the [[Left Democratic Front (Kerala)|Left Democratic Front]] regime in 2009,<ref>{{cite web|title=Kerala to go ahead with Aranmula airport|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/kerala-to-go-ahead-with-aranmula-airport-113050800901_1.html|website=Business Standard|access-date=11 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211081412/http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/kerala-to-go-ahead-with-aranmula-airport-113050800901_1.html|archive-date=11 February 2018|location=Wayback Machine}}</ref> with the condition that the promoters procure sufficient land on their own. The Central Government gave the green signal for the proposed airport in October 2012 and the project was estimated to be completed within 18 months.<ref name=BL1>{{cite web|url=http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/malaysia-airports-to-buy-stake-in-kgs-aranmula-intl-airport/491049/ |title=Green signal for Aranmula airport |publisher=[[The Hindu Business Line]] |date=26 October 2012 |access-date=30 October 2012}}</ref> An executive summary of the project including the anticipated environmental impact was prepared by Chennai-based Enviro Care India Pvt. Ltd. and was submitted to the Government of India. However, the Environmental clearance for the project was not granted.<ref name="thehindu_no_nod_for_airport">{{cite news|work=[[The Hindu]]|title=No nod for airport plan from MoEF|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/no-nod-for-airport-plan-from-moef/article4421339.ece|access-date=27 February 2013|date=16 February 2013|location=Chennai, India}}</ref>

The Legislative Assembly Committee on Environmental Affairs chaired by C P Mohammed MLA found the Airport Project "highly detrimental to the environment"<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite news| url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-in-school/aranmula-airport-centres-decision-criticised/article4444532.ece | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | title=Aranmula airport: Centre's decision criticised | date=23 February 2013}}</ref> The Project met with opposition right from its initial stages from leaders of various streams of society including Poetess-cum-Environmentalist [[Sugathakumari]] and Politician [[V. M. Sudheeran]], Hindu Ikya Vedi's Secretary [[Kummanam Rajasekharan]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/sugathakumari-to-lead-stir-against-airport/article4447626.ece | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | title=Sugathakumari to lead stir against airport | date=24 February 2013}}</ref> Allegations of discrepancies in awarding clearances through easy processes have been raised, adding to the project's controversies.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The [[Communist Party of India]] leaders like [[P. Prasad]] a close aide of [[Medha Patkar]] was also in forefrunt of the struggle. They have approached [[National Green Tribunal Act|National Green Tribunal]] against the clearance given by [[Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change]] to KGS Aranmula Airport Ltd to set up an airport.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Staff Reporter|date=2012-02-12|title=Medha Patkar to address rally in Aranmula|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/medha-patkar-to-address-rally-in-aranmula/article2885775.ece|access-date=2021-05-11|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/enablers/cel/national_green_tribunal/case_summaries/?11841/Shri-P-Prasad-Pathanamthitta-Kerala-Vs-Union-of-India-and-MoEF|access-date=2021-05-11|website=www.wwfindia.org}}</ref>

[[The Kerala State Biodiversity Board]] submitted a report to the government in March 2013, expressing its reservations over "the land use changes and ecological imbalance that the project will entail"<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/aranmula-project-will-affect-ecology-ksbb/article4518577.ece | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | first=T. | last=Nandakumar | title=Aranmula project will affect ecology: KSBB | date=17 March 2013}}</ref>

On 2 April 2013, National Green Tribunal Act granted an interim stay on the project banning any construction at the site. It also stayed the Kerala Government's order to convert the 500 acres of land for industrial purpose until further orders.<ref name="BS9">{{cite web|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/tribunal-grants-interim-stay-on-aranmula-airport-project-113040300006_1.html |title=Tribunal grants interim stay on Aranmula airport project |work=[[Business Standard]]|date=3 April 2013 |access-date=2 April 2013}}</ref> The airport project was given environmental clearance by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi on 19 November 2013. The national green tribunal canceled the environmental clearance on 28 May 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Green tribunal cancels clearance for Aranmula airport project|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/Green-tribunal-cancels-clearance-for-Aranmula-airport-project/article20783858.ece|website=The Hindu|access-date=11 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211080201/http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/Green-tribunal-cancels-clearance-for-Aranmula-airport-project/article20783858.ece|archive-date=11 February 2018|location=Wayback Machine}}</ref> The promoters failed to overturn this order in the Supreme court of India<ref>{{cite web|title=Supreme Court clips Aranmula airport's wings|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/supreme-court-clips-aranmula-airports-wings/article6622930.ece|website=The Hindu|access-date=11 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211080908/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/supreme-court-clips-aranmula-airports-wings/article6622930.ece|archive-date=11 February 2018|location=Wayback Machine}}</ref> which lead to the abandonment of the project.

==Status==
The project is now abandoned (since 2014).

== See also ==

* [[Sabarimala Airport]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Tourism in Kerala}}

[[Category:Environmental controversies]]
[[Category:Aranmula]]

Aranmula International Airport - Revision history

imported>Citation bot at 18:11, 18 August 2021