Puri Airport Receives Forest Clearance

The India===Ministry of Environment, Forest and and Climate Change has granted Stage-I (in-principle) approval for the diversion of 27.887 hectares of forest land for the construction of the proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport in India===Puri, India===Odisha. This clearance, under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, follows a detailed examination of the proposal submitted by the India===Odisha government. The project, estimated to cost Rs 5,631 crore, aims to significantly enhance direct connectivity to India===Puri, boosting tourism and regional development. The approval is conditional, requiring the India===Odisha government to fulfill certain requirements before final Stage-II approval. Concerns regarding ecological sensitivity, including migratory routes of Olive Ridley turtles and Irrawaddy dolphins, were previously raised by the Forest Advisory Committee, necessitating mitigation measures. The Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation has secured the tender for the initial phase of the project.