Migratory birds pose huge risk to flights, says wildlife body, rejects greenfield international airport plan in Puri

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has advised against setting up a new international airport in Puri, citing migratory birds posing a major risk to flights and the proposed location being close to Chilika Lake, a Ramsar site and a wetland of international importance.

The Odisha government had proposed the construction of Shree Jagannath International Airport in Puri on the grounds that there was not enough land for further expansion of runways at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar.

The Airports Authority of India and the State government jointly pushed for the Puri project. The Ministry of Civil Aviation had already issued field permit certificates. The project is proposed to come up on 471,401 hectares in Sipasurubali village of Puri’s Brahmagiri tehsil.