Parandur Airport Project Will Worsen Chennai Flooding, Warns Climate Activist G. Sundarrajan
Chennai, July 7 – As the Tamil Nadu government pushes forward with plans to construct a greenfield airport at Parandur, climate experts and local residents are voicing growing alarm over its potential environmental and social impact. Climate activist G. Sundarrajan has issued a strong warning, saying the airport project could destroy vital watershed areas, alter drainage patterns, and significantly worsen Chennai’s flood vulnerability.
“This airport will exacerbate flooding in Chennai. It threatens to erase waterbodies that act as natural flood buffers, especially against climate-induced extreme rainfall,” said Sundarrajan, founder of Poovulagin Nanbargal, an environmental advocacy group.
Wetlands: Nature’s Defense Against Flooding
Sundarrajan stressed the importance of even minor waterbodies in mitigating urban flooding. He explained that wetlands help delay the flood peak by spreading, settling, and percolating rainwater. This slows the movement of water downstream and gives local systems time to absorb rainfall.
In contrast, he noted that urbanized areas without wetlands experience sudden and severe flooding, as floodwaters rush towards low-lying regions like Chennai within hours instead of days.
“We’ve already seen what happens when water-retaining landscapes are replaced by concrete. Recent Chennai floods proved that areas with wetlands fared far better,” he added.
“Draining” the Natural Drainage
According to Sundarrajan, the proposed airport’s construction would unnaturally channel stormwater flows, disturbing the region’s hydrological balance. The site, he says, lies in an ecologically sensitive zone that feeds several lakes, ponds, and rainwater catchment areas connected to the larger flood management system of northern Tamil Nadu.
Despite these warnings, land acquisition has already begun, sparking criticism that the government is moving forward without transparency or environmental accountability.
“The government hasn’t shared the hydrogeological report. What are they hiding?” Sundarrajan questioned.
“Development Without Dialogue”
The government's recent order on land acquisition and a resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) package has only escalated tensions in villages like Ekanapuram, where residents say they are being forced out.
S.D. Kathiresan, a resident of the village, voiced deep dissatisfaction with the process and the compensation offered.
“We will not leave our lands and homes. No amount of money can replace what we’re losing,” he said.
Sundarrajan echoed this sentiment, calling the R&R package insufficient and unfair.
“You cannot uproot entire communities and call it progress. Compensation is not just about money—it’s about cultural continuity, livelihood, and consent,” he emphasized.
Questions Over Environmental Clearances
Environmentalists have also questioned how the airport project has moved forward without the release of the hydrogeological report or a full environmental impact assessment (EIA) being made public. Activists allege that the government is sidestepping scientific scrutiny, possibly to fast-track land acquisition and construction.
“There’s a pattern here: avoid transparency, suppress dissent, and bulldoze public opposition in the name of development,” Sundarrajan said.
Key Concerns Raised:
- Airport threatens critical wetlands, increasing flood risks in Chennai
- Minor waterbodies play a key role in mitigating short-duration extreme rainfall
- Government hasn’t released hydrogeological reports, raising questions
- Villagers unhappy with compensation and unwilling to leave ancestral lands
- Environmental assessments lacking; transparency demanded by activists
The Big Picture: Climate Resilience vs. Infrastructure Push
While the state government touts the Parandur airport as a major infrastructure upgrade, activists argue it reflects flawed climate adaptation planning. They warn that large-scale environmental alteration in a flood-prone region like Chennai is a recipe for disaster, especially as the city continues to face rising sea levels, erratic monsoon cycles, and rapid urbanization.
As Sundarrajan puts it:
“We are repeating the same mistakes. If we don’t protect our waterbodies now, we will pay for it every monsoon.”
