
Environment ministry panel recommends green clearance for Puri airport
Since a part of the project area is under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) area and a sub-plot under it is affected by no-development zone provisions, the Odisha government has also been asked to seek comments from the ministry's CRZ division.
The Shree Jagannath International Airport was given in-principle approval by the Union Civil Aviation Ministry on May 5, and it will cost an estimated Rs 5,631 crore. The Odisha government's commerce and transport department is the project proponent, and the project area is spread over 471.34 hectares, of which 27.85 hectares is forest land.
The EAC's recommendation for the grant of environmental clearance comes days after the forest advisory committee (FAC) deferred granting forest clearance for the project. The FAC deferred the project clearance, citing concerns that its regional office raised over the proposed airport's likely impact on olive ridley turtles and Irrawaddy dolphins as well as the impact of felling 13,000 trees on the Puri coastline, which is vulnerable to frequent cyclones.
The EAC had also made specific recommendations on the protection of olive ridley turtles and migratory birds. A subcommittee of the EAC had visited the project site in April this year to inspect site conditions and made specific recommendations regarding ecological, cultural and wildlife concerns.
The subcommittee had said that with olive ridley turtles nesting around the Puri coast, the Odisha government should prepare a comprehensive study report on the issue and provide a management plan. Like the FAC, the EAC asked to study the likely impact of the airport on migratory birds that fly to Chilika Lake.
Based on these submissions, the EAC directed the Odisha government to submit an assessment report study to the ministry's regional office on how it will manage olive ridley turtles and dolphins found in coastal areas near the project site.
The Odisha government has engaged the Estuarine Biology Regional Centre, Gopalpur, of the Zoological Survey of India, to study olive ridley turtle nesting and migratory birds. Lakhs of migratory birds use the flyway or migratory routes along the Puri coast to use Chilika Lake as a stopover site.
Additionally, with the Shree Jagannath Temple within 10 km of the airport site, the state government has to submit a no-objection certificate from the Archaeological Survey of India. The EAC also recommended the building of cyclone shelters. 'As the proposed project area is vulnerable to tsunami and cyclones as it lies on the coastal belt of Bay of Bengal… EAC desired that cyclone shelters shall be planned as part of mitigation measures outside and inside of the airport complex,' the EAC stated.
In May 2019, Cyclone Fani had made landfall between Satapada (near Chilika Lake) and Puri, with sustained surface wind speeds of 175-180 km per hour, causing deaths and damage to the town.
The EAC on infrastructure projects is one among 13 sectoral panels that are constituted by the environment ministry to scrutinise proposals and appraise them for their environmental impact, under provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment notification, 2006.
The ministry takes the final call on the grant or rejection of the final environmental clearance. The FAC, meanwhile, scrutinises proposals for diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes such as development and infrastructure projects, under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980.
The concerned expert panel, which granted its recommendation for the Puri airport, scrutinises only proposals of airports, waste treatment plants, effluent treatment plants, buildings and constructions, and townships, under provisions of the Environment Impact Assessment notification, 2006.
An award-winning journalist with 14 years of experience, Nikhil Ghanekar is an Assistant Editor with the National Bureau [Government] of The Indian Express in New Delhi. He primarily covers environmental policy matters which involve tracking key decisions and inner workings of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also covers the functioning of the National Green Tribunal and writes on the impact of environmental policies on wildlife conservation, forestry issues and climate change.
Nikhil joined The Indian Express in 2024. Originally from Mumbai, he has worked in publications such as Tehelka, Hindustan Times, DNA Newspaper, News18 and Indiaspend. In the past 14 years, he has written on a range of subjects such as sports, current affairs, civic issues, city centric environment news, central government policies and politics. ... Read More
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Indian tourist's ‘mat aao Europe' video goes viral, sparks debate
An Indian tourist's honest take on Europe's summer heat has sparked debate online. Sharing a video on Instagram, he urged travellers to rethink their plans and skip Europe during peak summer clip shared by Bulbul Pandey is titled 'Mat aao Europe (Don't come to Europe)'. In it, Bulbul describes the struggles of travelling across European cities in the harsh summer garmi hai. Jo log bhi Europe aana chahte hain ghoomne, please mat aao (It's way too hot here. Those planning to visit Europe during summer vacations, please don't),' he said in the video. Bulbul pointed out that many European hotels and apartments have no air conditioning - not even fans - despite charging hefty rates. He compared the rooms to tiny boxes, saying, 'Dabbe jaise chhote chhote kamre hain yahan par vo bhi itne mehengey (The rooms are so small like boxes and still very expensive).'He also spoke about the unpleasant side of some European streets, claiming that in several areas, the air smells foul, even like urine at times. And for those hoping to stay hydrated, he warned that even a small water bottle could cost between 2 to 2.5 euros (Rs 200 to 250 approximately).Sharing his regret, he said, 'I am so regretting my decision to come here during this time. Imagine carrying your belongings without AC or fan in this burning hot weather.' He recommended visiting Europe in September or October concluded with a brutally honest suggestion: it's better to 'stay in India and enjoy the monsoon season' than struggle in Europe's heat without the the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bulbul Pandey (@pandeyjipardesi)The video has stirred debate online. Several users backed his observations, calling the struggles real.'He is absolutely right. Majority of cafs and restaurants didn't even have fans, let alone AC. Not a good idea to visit during summer. Even the cheapest hotel in India has a fan or cooler,' a user shared, describing similar experiences in Italy and user wrote, 'My daughter lives in Germany... she says the same. She bought a fan and an air cooler.''Mat jao European countries. India is best with all seasons at a good price. Sirf hype hai Europe ka,' one of the users said. But not everyone agreed. A user countered, 'I don't know which part of Europe you went to. No doubt it's warm, but there are ACs on the trains, trams, buses and in hotels. It's beautiful. Don't spread rumours. I was there last week, and it was amazing.'advertisementSee the comments here: While Europe remains a dream destination for several travellers out there, this viral video serves as a reminder that timing - and honest expectations - could make or break a holiday.- EndsTrending Reel


Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Travel Food Services IPO set to open on Monday; Check GMP, price band, other key details
Mumbai-based Travel Food Services is set to launch its initial public offering (IPO) on Monday, July 7, with the issue closing on Wednesday, July 9, 2025 The IPO is entirely an offer for sale (OFS) by promoter Kapur Family Trust , with no fresh equity issuance. All proceeds from the Rs 2,000 crore issue will go to the selling shareholder. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Anchor Investors and GMP Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Ahead of the public issue, the company raised Rs 599 crore from anchor investors by allocating 54,43,635 equity shares at Rs 1,100 apiece on Friday, July 4. Notable anchor investors include ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Axis Mutual Fund, Kotak Mutual Fund, HDFC Life Insurance , Fidelity, SBI General Insurance, and Tata AIA Life Insurance, among others. Live Events The grey market premium (GMP) for the IPO stands at Rs 49–50, suggesting a potential listing gain of around 4% over the upper price band. Also Read: Street favourite! 10 BSE large-cap stocks analysts expect to rally up to 70% About Travel Food Services IPO The company has set the price band for the IPO at Rs 1,045 to Rs 1,100 per share. The issue is a 100% offer for sale (OFS), with no fresh equity being issued. Investors can place bids for a minimum of 13 equity shares and in multiples of 13 thereafter. As per the offer structure, 50% of the issue is reserved for Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs), 35% for retail investors, and 15% for Non-Institutional Investors (NIIs). Also Read: TCS, HCLTech among 10 stocks that have paid dividends over 40 times since 2011 About the company Promoted by UK-based SSP Group plc and the Kapur Family Trust, Travel Food Services operates India's largest airport food and lounge network, with 413 outlets, of which 384 are located at airports across 14 Indian cities. It also runs 37 airport lounges, including 28 private ones, making it the largest lounge operator in India. The company also operates internationally at three airports—two in Malaysia and one in Hong Kong. Also Read: 10 Nifty smallcap stocks analysts expect to rally up to 72% Travel Food Services financials In FY25, Travel Food Services reported a 27.4% year-on-year rise in profit to Rs 379.7 crore, while revenue grew 20.9% to Rs 1,687.7 crore.


New Indian Express
6 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Odisha's infrastructure plans in eco-zones to be reviewed by CEC
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government's plans for tourism and infrastructure projects in sensitive zones of critical protected areas (PAs) of the state have drawn the notice of the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC). The panel has now called for a meeting and asked chief secretary Manoj Ahuja to discuss crucial tourism and bridge infrastructure projects as well as the matter pertaining to eco sensitive zone (ESZ) finalisation. The meeting is scheduled on July 17 at New Delhi. Sources said issues of governance and execution model for tourism infrastructure which have a bearing on sanctuaries, national parks, tiger reserve areas and Ramsar sites will be taken up by the CEC. Similarly, tourism projects requiring forest and ESZ clearances and stake of the Tourism department in ESZ finalisation will also be discussed. The SC-constituted panel has also asked the principal chief conservator of forests (general), PCCF (wildlife) and Secretary, Tourism department to be take part in the meeting which will specifically discuss two critical infrastructure projects in the state. One of the contentious projects is the proposed construction of a two-lane national highway over Chilika lagoon by the National Highways Authority of India. The 7.740 km project, estimated at a cost of around Rs 526.08 crore, had prompted the expert appraisal committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to seek a cost-benefit analysis from the state government.