The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has granted the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change an extended deadline until February 6, 2026, to submit its official response regarding a petition challenging the proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport in Puri's Sipasarubali area.
Environmental Concerns Take Center Stage
The legal challenge, brought forward by ten residents led by Surendra Tapasu, questions the environmental viability of the greenfield airport project. The petitioners have raised serious concerns that the proposed airport location falls within an ecologically fragile and cyclone-prone coastal zone, potentially violating fundamental principles of sustainable development.
The matter was heard before NGT's east zone bench in Kolkata on November 27, with the panel comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana as Judicial Member and Dr Prashant Gargava as Expert Member. Although initial notices were issued to both the Central government and Odisha government on September 8, the environment ministry requested additional time to prepare and submit its detailed affidavit, which the tribunal bench approved.
Conflicting Claims About Construction Activity
During the recent hearing, the state government representatives made a significant submission, stating that no construction work is currently underway at the proposed airport site. They further revealed that even a temporary wall that had been erected earlier had been completely removed from the location.
However, advocate Sankar Prasad Pani, representing the petitioners, directly countered this claim by alleging that various activities were still being conducted on the ground. Taking cognizance of these contradictory statements, the NGT bench directed the petitioner's counsel to file a formal application with photographic evidence containing specific latitude and longitude details if they wished to substantiate their assertion about ongoing work at the site.
State Government's Strong Defense
In a detailed counter-affidavit filed by Debadutta Suranita Jena, Secretary of the Commerce & Transport Department, the Odisha government strongly defended the airport project. The state described the proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport as a priority initiative essential for easing the growing pressure on Bhubaneswar's Biju Patnaik International Airport, which faces significant space and technical limitations preventing any further expansion.
The state government's affidavit emphasized that the project would significantly boost tourism and accelerate economic and social development in and around the holy city of Puri. Importantly, the affidavit cited a May 10, 2023 site inspection report by the Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) from Puri, which stated that no violations of the Forest Conservation Act had been identified during the inspection.
Further strengthening their position, the state referenced a February 22, 2024 communication from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) confirming that the proposed airport location does not fall within any national park, wildlife sanctuary, or designated wildlife corridor. According to Jena's submission, the site is located 9.95 kilometers away from the eco-sensitive zone of the Balukhand-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary, with assessments indicating minimal impact on bird movement and local wildlife.
The state government also highlighted that the Ministry of Civil Aviation, operating under the Greenfield Airports Policy, has already granted both site clearance and in-principle approval following a comprehensive pre-feasibility study conducted by the Airports Authority of India.
The National Green Tribunal has scheduled the next hearing in this significant environmental case for February 6, 2026, marking a crucial deadline for all parties involved in this contentious development project.
