Roadblock for Puri Shree Jagannath International Airport: NGT issues notice to Odisha govt, Centre

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the Centre and the Odisha government over alleged violations of environmental laws in the ongoing Shree Jagannath International Airport project at Puri.

The tribunal has also directed responses from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Odisha’s Commerce and Transport Department, Forest and Environment Department, the Puri Collector and the divisional forest officer.

Replies are to be filed within four weeks, with the next hearing scheduled for October 10, reported The New Indian Express.

Puri Residents File Plea

Reports added that the petition was filed by a group of Puri residents led by Surendra Takasu, who sought an immediate halt to all construction activities, including the approach road, boundary wall and stockyard.

The plea alleged that the project at Sipasarubali Mouza lacked mandatory Environmental, Coastal Regulation Zone, and Forest clearances, and was a threat to over 13,504 trees, including shelterbelt plantations designed to protect the coast from cyclones.

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Concerns Over Ecological Sensitivity

According to a site inspection report by the MoEFCC’s Bhubaneswar regional office, the removal of cashew and casuarina plantations functioning as natural bioshields could heighten vulnerability to cyclones and expose nearby villages to risk.

Petitioners further flagged the project’s proximity to the Balukhand Wildlife Sanctuary, nesting grounds of Olive Ridley turtles, dolphin habitats, and the Central Asian Flyway near Chilika Lake, a key migratory bird route.

Aviation Safety Issues At Bhubaneswar Airport

The NGT case comes at a time when aviation safety in Odisha is under wider scrutiny. Earlier this month, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) wrote to Odisha Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, citing frequent bird strike incidents at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar.

The regulator highlighted unauthorised slaughterhouses, roadside meat and fish vending units, and open waste dumps within a 10 km radius of the airport as key causes.