The government has found the Cheruvally estate in Kanjirappally as the most suitable location for the proposed Sabarimala greenfield airport, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in the Assembly on Tuesday.
Speaking during the Question Hour, he said the project master plan found that nearly 307 acres would be additionally required outside the 2,268.13-acre estate premises to develop the airport with a 3,500-metre-long runway that was necessary for approval from the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
The government had accorded sanction to acquire around 2,570 acres of land in the villages of Erumely South and Manimala to establish the airport. The Centre for Management Development has conducted the social impact assessment and has submitted its report to the government. An expert committee, which has been constituted to study the report, will soon submit its recommendations, he said.
According to Mr. Vijayan, the requirement of a runway having a length of at least 3,500 metres has left the government with no other option but to opt for an east-west alignment. This necessitated the need for further land outside the Cheruvally estate. The airport will adopt the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) model of public-private partnership, he said.
The government will provide attractive compensation for the land acquired and also rehabilitate those displaced by the project, the Chief Minister added.
