Erumeli: Sabarimala Greenfield Airport is back in the headlines as the government issued a notification to acquire 1,000.28 hectares of land for the project. Now, the latest reports claim that 8000 employment opportunities will be created during the construction phase of the airport. Lands in Erumeli South and Manimala villages will be acquired for the project.
The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report of the State Pollution Control Board stated that a green cover would be developed on 33 per cent of the land made available for the construction of the Sabarimala Greenfield Airport.
The green cover would come up on a land of 859.39 acres. Saplings would be planted to compensate for the trees axed for the proposed airport's construction, the report said, adding that the impact on the environment during the construction would be kept at a minimum.
Details of the airport are as below:
Project cost: Rs 3,973 crore
No. of phases: Two
Total area: 2,569.59 acres
Area of the aerodrome: 856.47 acres
Runway: 3.5 km long, 45 metre wide
Passenger terminal: 50,000 square metre
Cargo terminal: 15,000 square metre
Expected passengers: 2.45 million (in 2029-30), 6.42 million (in 2049-50)
Fuel farm capacity: 3,000 cubic metre (the airport needs this much fuel a week)
Other development works
Fire and rescue station
Two-lane road to the airport
Sound insulation mechanism for Karikkattor Reserve Forest
Solar farm (including rooftop) to generate 30 megawatts of power
Silencers to check sound pollution at the construction site
Sprinklers to combat dust
Natural drains will be retained at the construction site
Who will be affected by land acquisition?
Outside the estate: 362 families (1,441 people)
Within the estate: 221 families (875 people)
Houses to be acquired: 149 houses with concrete roofing, 74 with tin sheet roofs, and 30 houses with tiled floorings will have to be acquired completely. Six houses with concrete roofs and one with sheet roofs will have to be taken over partially. Outside the estate, six buildings housing commercial establishments, 98 residential buildings and 117 wells will have to be acquired.
Six religious institutions — Panchatheertha Parashakti Sthanam, Poovanpara Mala Kshethram, St Thomas Ecumenical Church, Hidayathul Islam Jama'at, St Gregorios Orthodox Chapel and St Joseph Church — will be affected, besides the Noel Memorial School.
The construction site has 11 varieties of trees, as many medicinal plants and a dozen different shrubs. They, too, will be affected by the airport construction.
As many as 8,000 people will get employment during the airport construction. Once commissioned, 600 people will get direct appointments.
A total of 3.58 lakh trees, mostly rubber, will be cut down for the construction. The project site alone has 3.34 rubber trees. Besides, 23,976 other trees, too, face the axe.
The airport would need 1,161 kilolitres of water daily during the construction stage. Once phase one is operational, it needs 2,390 kilolitres, and 5,160 kilolitres when phase two is also commissioned. The EIA report suggested drawing water from the Manimala River or the Water Authority's sources.
During the construction stage, the site and labour camps would daily generate 2.4 tonnes of solid waste. They will be segregated and processed on the same day. Additionally, 1,700 kilolitres of wastewater produced will be treated and reused.
The airport would require 33.45 MVA (Mega Volt Amp) of power. It would be sourced from the KSEB.
Sitting on April 15
A sitting will be held at the Assumption Forane Church in Erumeli between 11.30 am and 1.30 pm on April 15 to seek public opinion on the project. It is organised as part of obtaining the environmental clearance for the Sabarimala Greenfield Airport.
