Puri Int. Airport: NOCs in Place Despite MoEFCC Panel’s Objections

New Delhi: Despite an expert environment review panel red-flagging the proposal to construct a greenfield international airport in Puri district of Odisha on various grounds, details obtained exclusively through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 establish that the project not only has the clearance of the Defence Ministry but also that of a host of other organisations, including the NITI Aayog and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Read Also: Puri’s Greenfield Airport Plans Hit Defence, Environmental Hurdles

In a meeting held on November 28, 2024, the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (the environment ministry) had deferred Odisha government’s application to divert 27.887 hectares of forest land for the airport, raising concerns over the site’s proximity to INS Chilka, a training base of the Indian Navy.

The FAC – a statutory body under the Environment Ministry, which studies potential impacts of mining, industrial and infrastructure projects upon forest land – had also raised questions over the necessity of building a greenfield airport in Puri when the Biju Patnaik International Airport in the state capital of Bhubaneswar was barely 52 km away.

Documents obtained by this correspondent through RTI show that the Defence Ministry has granted a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the project by issuing an office memorandum dated May 17, 2023. This NOC is valid for a period of seven years.

Further, the DGCA – which should ideally be concerned about the 150-km rule between two international airports – has granted clearance to the project through a communication dated June 15, 2023.

These details have been clearly mentioned in the “site clearance” certificate dated September 22, 2023 that was granted to the airport project by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Though the project – proposed by former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ahead of the 2024 general and Assembly elections when Biju Janata Dal (BJD) was in power in the state – was initially supported by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the strong opposition to it by the Environment Ministry has given rise to speculation as to whether it was just an electoral ice-lolly that melted soon after the polls.

The opposition of the Central government came once the BJD was convincingly voted out of power from Odisha in the simultaneous Assembly elections in the state in mid-2024.

The minutes of a steering committee meeting held ahead of granting “site clearance” to the project in September 2023 rip apart the FAC’s twin theories that the project should not be considered owing to its proximity to INS Chilka, and for the fact that it lies within a 150-km radius of the existing international airport in Bhubaneshwar.

The document containing the steering committee meeting’s proceedings, and the “site clearance” certificate, was also obtained through RTI.

The minutes of the steering committee meeting state are as follows:

“Ministry of Defence (MOD) stated that they have granted the NOC to the project valid for 7 years and State Government has to comply with stipulated conditions of the NOC.”

Further:

“Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated that they have also conveyed their observations/ comments to State Government for compliance and mentioned that after “In Principle” approval, State Government has to take approval from DGCA before commencement of construction work.”

The other member-agencies of the steering committee also extended their unequivocal support to the airport project at this meeting. These include the NITI Aayog, the apex public policy think-tank of the country, and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Besides, the Department of Revenue, the Department of Economic Affairs, the India Meteorological Department also supported the project subject to certain minor issues.

The only objection to the project was raised by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) over the issue of purported loss in revenues through projected diversion of traffic from Bhubaneswar airport to Puri once the greenfield airport gets operational. However, this fear was allayed by the Odisha government which agreed to compensate AAI in the event of diversion of traffic in accordance with provisions of the Greenfield Airports Policy, 2008 and the National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016.

The minutes state:

“Both AAI and State Government agreed that there will be a diversion of traffic in the range of 40% from the existing Bhubaneswar Airport to new proposed Greenfield airport at Puri.

However, the State Government allayed the concerns of AAI regarding the diversion of traffic and stated that both Bhubaneswar and proposed Puri Airports are critical for air travel within the State and therefore, both these airports will be treated equally in terms of support by the State Government. ln case there is a loss to AAI on account of diversion of traffic, State Government agreed to compensate AAI, if any, suitably through mutual discussion and agreement.”

The state government also agreed to AAI’s proposal at the meeting to constitute a committee to look into various aspects of the proposed new airport vis-à-vis the existing airport in Bhubaneshwar. It further took cognizance of the proximity of the proposed project site to the iconic Jagannath Temple in Puri.

It said during the meeting:

“State Government informed that they will carry out Impact Assessment and submit the same. Further, they added that necessary approvals/clearances from Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and any other Ministries/Statutory Bodies will be taken during “ln-Principle” approval stage. He [the representative of the state government] also advised to consult Archaeological Department to ensure that tremors at the proposed Airport does not have any adverse impact on the temple.”

The steering committee recommended the airport proposal, thereafter, and forwarded it to the civil aviation ministry for the granting of “site clearance”.

Notably, eminent private players in the civil aviation sector, that is, Adani Airports, Fairfax and the GMR Group, had expressed interest in constructing the airport on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis when Patnaik’s government floated tenders for a Rs 2,200 crore project in February 2024. The tender was floated by the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO).

Reportedly, as per the proposal, the airport will have a capacity of handling 4.6 million passengers per annum (MPPA) in the first phase. In a subsequent phase, its capacity will be increased to handle 10.18 MPPA and 16.69 MPPA, respectively.

The FAC was also concerned – as is evident from the minutes of its meeting held on November 28, 2024 – about an expressway that will connect Bhubaneswar with Puri. While deferring the forest clearance, it advised the Odisha government that the proposal should have been presented as an “integrated project” inclusive of the expressway. It mentioned the fact at least twice during the course of the November 28 meeting.

“This proposal has not been presented as an integrated project. The six-lane expressway which will link Bhubaneswar airport to Puri airport supposedly to be built along the coast line is not a part of this project proposal. Nor is the approach road to the airport a part of the current proposal. It appears that facts are not presented in actuality in a bid to break the integrated proposal to many parts for obtaining easy clearance.”

And again:

“This proposal has not been presented as an integrated project. The six-lane expressway which will link Bhubaneswar airport to Puri airport supposedly to be built along the coast line is not a part of this project proposal. Nor is the approach road to the airport a part of the current proposal. It appears that facts are not presented integrated manner.”

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has already approved Odisha government’s proposal to develop a six-lane access-controlled highway with two-lane service roads on either side of the existing Bhubaneswar-Puri Road, which is known as NH-316. The travel time between the two cities is expected to be halved to 30 minutes once the roughly 60-km-long expressway project is completed. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 1,800 crore.

This clearance was among four highway development projects that were cleared by the Nitin Gadkari-led Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

The question remains as to why – and at whose instance – does the FAC want the greenfield airport proposal to be linked with the expressway as an “integrated project”.

Nevertheless, even as the airport project hangs in balance, the new Mohan Majhi headed BJP government in Odisha has unveiled gargantuan plans for development of the three cities in hardly over six months of being elected to power.

In June 2024, the Majhi government announced that the cities of Bhubaneshwar, Cuttack and Puri would be developed into a Triple City with all modern facilities and amenities including rail connectivity, bus facilities, clean roads, hospitals and the Metro rail.

Even more ambitious plans are now afoot to develop a metropolitan region spanning the entire coastal belt of Bhubaneshwar, Cuttack, Puri and Paradip. This region, which is proposed to encompass 7,000 square kilometres, will reportedly be developed as   sustainable economic hub with industries, services, education and health for providing better employment opportunities and improving living standards of the people.

The NITI Aayog will reportedly help the Majhi government develop the blueprint of the project. This proposal is being pushed to increase the urban coverage of Odisha which, at present, stands at a low of just 17%.

The writer is an independent journalist.