Amidst the uncertainty surrounding the acquisition of land for the Sabarimala International Greenfield Airport at Erumely, a movement advocating the project’s implementation on revenue land at Kodumon is gradually gaining momentum in Pathanamthitta.
The Kodumon Airport Action Committee, a coalition of various associations, including those of Non-Resident Keralites, has launched a signature campaign to support the establishment of the airport on a 1,200-hectare estate under the Plantation Corporation of Kerala Ltd. The campaign aims at collecting one lakh signatures and submit memorandums to both Union and State governments.
Reasons cited
In addition to the signature campaign, the collective plans to hold public meetings across the district to explain the rationale behind their push for the airport at Kodumon. “The Kodumon estate, which spans the five villages of Kodumon, Kalanjoor, Angadikkal, Ezhamkulam, and Enadimangalam in Adoor taluk, is owned by the Plantation Corporation. This property has no settlers, and since it is revenue land, the government can save several crores of rupees on land acquisition costs,” noted Varghese Perayil, president of the action committee.
According to the committee, the area also does not include any ecologically sensitive zones or waterbodies. The action committee views the revocation of the notification for acquiring the Cheruvally estate in Erumely as an opportune moment for the government to consider the Kodumon estate.
‘Minimal likelihood’
However, official sources maintain that the likelihood of a change in the site is minimal, as the revocation of the land acquisition notification is merely a technical step. “A fresh notification for acquiring the land will be issued after the government carries out a fresh Social Impact Assessment of the current site. The location at Erumely has already received site and defence clearance from the Centre, while an application for security clearance is under consideration by the Ministry of Home Affairs,” pointed out an official.
New notification
According to him, the fresh SIA process is expected to take up to six months, with an additional two months needed for an expert committee to review the final report. Following this, a new notification for land acquisition, in accordance with the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (LARRA), can be issued. This will be followed by a survey of the land and announcement of a rehabilitation and resettlement package. Simultaneously, the government will also proceed with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process.
Published - July 14, 2024 07:46 pm IST
