Tamil Nadu Scraps Parandur Airport Project; Vijay Says He Stands With Farmers and Protesters
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has announced that his government will abandon the proposed Parandur greenfield airport project, saying the decision honours his commitment to local residents who had strongly opposed the plan over concerns about farmland, water bodies and the environment.
Chennai, August 24, 2026: The long-running controversy over the proposed Parandur airport near Chennai has taken a major turn, with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announcing that his government will drop the project.
Vijay said the decision was taken in keeping with the promise he had made to people who had been protesting against the proposed airport. He reiterated that his government stood with the affected residents and farmers who had raised concerns about the possible impact of the project on agricultural land and local water resources.
“We are dropping Parandur airport. I stand firm with the protesters against the proposed airport,” Vijay said while announcing the government’s decision.
The proposed airport, planned at Parandur in Kancheepuram district, around 70 km from Chennai, had faced sustained opposition from residents and environmental groups. Critics of the project had argued that the proposed site included fertile multi-crop agricultural land and important water bodies, raising concerns about the long-term environmental and livelihood impact.
Vijay has been opposing the project since before the state elections. Recalling his earlier stand, he said that while new airports and modern infrastructure are important for Tamil Nadu’s industrial and economic growth, development should not come at the expense of farmers and their livelihoods.
The chief minister had first publicly opposed the project in October 2024 during a meeting in Vikravandi, where he maintained that infrastructure development must take into account the welfare of people living in the affected areas.
The proposed Parandur airport had originally received in-principle approval from the Civil Aviation Ministry in April 2025. The project was being pursued during the previous DMK government and was presented as a major infrastructure initiative aimed at meeting Chennai’s future aviation requirements.
However, after coming to power, the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government announced that it would review the proposed location. The government said it was examining alternative sites that could reduce the impact on agricultural land and water bodies.
In June, TVK leader CTR Nirmal Kumar said that a comprehensive review of the airport proposal was underway and that alternative locations were being considered. The review was intended to explore whether Chennai’s future airport requirements could be met while protecting environmentally sensitive areas.
DMK Challenges Vijay Government
While the decision has been welcomed by those who opposed the Parandur project, the political battle surrounding the airport proposal is far from over.
The Opposition DMK has challenged the Vijay government’s claims regarding the project and has demanded that the government make the relevant files public.
DMK leader Duraimurugan reportedly asked the chief minister to “open our files” and challenged the government to make the documents relating to the project available for scrutiny.
He also warned that if the government failed to open the files within a week, the Opposition could consider moving a privilege motion in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The DMK has maintained that the airport project was initiated during its tenure and has questioned suggestions that there was anything improper about the proposal.
The dispute has therefore shifted from the question of whether the Parandur airport should be built to a broader political confrontation over the project’s history, approvals and decision-making process.
Farmers and Environment at the Centre of Debate
For residents of Parandur and surrounding villages, however, the airport controversy has largely been about protecting their land and livelihoods.
People opposing the project have repeatedly expressed concerns that acquiring agricultural land for a large airport could affect farming communities and alter the region’s natural water-drainage system. Environmental concerns have also been raised over the potential impact on wetlands and water bodies in the proposed project area.
The Vijay government’s decision to abandon the project marks a significant development in a controversy that has continued for several years. It also highlights the difficult balance governments face between expanding infrastructure and protecting agricultural and environmentally sensitive areas.
For now, the proposed Parandur airport appears to have reached the end of its road under the present Tamil Nadu government. However, the political debate over the project’s files, approvals and the state’s future airport strategy is expected to continue
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
