Sabrimala Airport's Security Clearance Under Consideration by Home Ministry

Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant decision, the Kerala government in the Assembly on Thursday said that the Central government has approved the site and defence clearance for the Sabrimala Greenfield Airport.

The Chief Minister of the state Pinarayi Vijayan made the announcement saying that an application for security clearance is currently under consideration by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Vijayan's statement came as a response to a notice issued by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) MLA K U Jenish Kumar who called for attention to the necessity to expedite the construction of the Sabarimala Airport.

The chief minister added that an environmental impact study report has been prepared and all steps are being undertaken to submit it before the Union Ministry of Forests, Environment and Climate Change for approval. He continued that besides this, a 7-member expert committee has been appointed to study the final Social Impact Assessment study report is also being prepared by the Centre for Management Development (CMD) and has submitted its recommendations to the authorities regarding the project.

Based on this report, the CM said that the process of acquiring 2,570 acres of land for the construction of the airport has been initiated. This came into effect after the state government in December 2023 issued an order to proceed with the acquisition of the land.

Vijayan also highlighted that steps are being taken to form a 'Special Purpose Vehicle' for the Sabrimala Airport and will select an agency to prepare its 'Detailed Project Report' (DPR).

The Kerala government expects to complete the Sabarimala airport project in a time-bound manner once all the clearances from the Centre are through.