Thiruvananathapuram: The Kerala government’s proposal for developing a Rs 3411 crore greenfield Sabarimala international airport in Kottayam district has received a shot in the arm with a Union Environment Ministry panel recommending it for the grant of Standard Terms of Reference (TOR) for airports.
The TOR was recommended by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the ministry, which met in New Delhi, last month. This will enable the project proponent, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) Limited, to plan and design an Impact Assessment (EIA), besides providing a format and structure for the project, official sources said.
The airport is proposed to be set up on around 2,570 acres of land in Erumeli, Kottayam District, commonly known by the name Cheruvally Estate.
“The EAC observed that the proposed site appears to be the best alternative among the sites examined and recommended the proposal for the grant of Standard TOR for airports”, a source said.
The project is expected to provide employment to 600 people in the operation phase.
During their presentation, the KSIDC and its consultant made a detailed presentation before the EAC of the three alternative sites they had considered for developing the project, which was planned mainly to serve the pilgrims of the famous Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala and provide a fillip to the tourism and local economies of Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, and Idukki districts.
The proponent also informed the EAC that the project site is outside the Eco Sensitive Area (ESA) of the Western Ghat and submitted a certificate from the Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Environment), Government of Kerala, to this effect.
Ecologically Sensitive Zone of Periyar Tiger Reserve falls outside the 10 km radius of the proposed airport project.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in April this year, welcomed the Civil Aviation Ministry’s site clearance for a greenfield airport project at Kottayam and termed it as a “great news for spiritual tourism”.
The Civil Aviation Ministry had on April 13 informed the KSIDC about the site clearance for the airport that would come up close to the famed Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala.
The ministry also asked the KSIDC to proceed with the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) and to send that along with an application for grant of ‘in-principle’ approval to it for further necessary action.
