Puri: The Union government has reportedly granted Stage-I (in-principle) approval for diversion of forest land for the proposed international airport in Puri.
In a notification, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) said the Odisha government’s proposal was cleared under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, after being examined by the Centre’s Advisory Committee.
The approval permits diversion of 27.887 hectares of DLC forest land under the Puri Forest Division for construction of the proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport in Puri district.
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Puri district collector Divyajyoti Parida said the stage-I clearance is subject to the fulfilment of conditions, including compensatory afforestation, wildlife conservation, and adherence to environmental regulations.
“Once these conditions are met, the project can seek stage-II clearance, which grants full approval for construction,” he added.
Notably, the proposed airport will be developed over 1,164 acres at Girala village, with an estimated project cost of Rs 5,631 crore. The first phase is designed to handle approximately 46 lakh passengers annually, significantly improving connectivity and boosting tourism in Puri.
It is expected to significantly enhance direct connectivity between Puri and major metropolitan cities across India, strengthening tourism and regional development, officials said.
