Obstacle Grows for Proposed Puri Airport
Forest land clearance put on hold over Olive Ridley, dolphin, and bird safety concerns
Bhubaneswar : The proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport in Puri has hit a roadblock as the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) under the Union Ministry of Environment has put the forest land clearance on hold. The decision was made in light of potential threats to Olive Ridley turtles, Irrawaddy dolphins, and migratory birds that flock to the Chilika Lake region.
The FAC has advised the Odisha government to take additional precautionary measures and seek expert opinions, particularly from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). In its meeting held on June 24, the committee deferred approval for using forest land near Sipasarubali, where the airport is planned.
The project requires 471.401 hectares of land, including 27.887 hectares of forest area. It also proposes the cutting of 13,504 trees, which currently act as natural barriers protecting Puri’s coast from cyclones.
The airport, estimated to cost ₹5,631 crore, had received approval from the Civil Aviation Ministry on May 5. However, with FAC withholding clearance, the project now faces fresh uncertainty.
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