Aranmula airport gets National Green Tribunal reprieve
The Chennai bench of the National Green Tribunal on Tuesday dismissed a petition which challenged decisions, including industrial area notification for the proposed Aranmula airport project and the no-objection certificate granted by the state government for it. In a press release, Aranmula International Airport Limited authorities said the stay on the construction of the airport had been lifted through the verdict.The Kerala government has 10% equity stake in the Rs 2,000-crore project by KGS Group. The dismissal of the petition by the tribunal would help the company speed up the project work, said Gigi George, managing director of the airport.Various environmental groups had been up in the arms against the move to make the banks of Pamba an industrial zone. They said the construction of the airport would be in violation of the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act. The Aranmula Heritage Village Protection Action Council had moved the green tribunal against construction of the airport.