A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the State government and other respondents to file objections, if any, to a writ petition challenging the sanction given by the State government for a greenfield airport at Aranmula.

The Bench comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice A.M. Shaffique issued the directives on petitions filed by poet Sugathakumari, Akiraman Radhakrishna Sharma and others.

According to the petitioners, the proposed airport did not have sufficient environment clearance. It was proposed to be constructed after filling paddy fields. This was against the provisions of the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act and Rules.

The clearance for the airport had been granted under the provisions of the Kerala Industrial Single Window Clearance Board and Industrial Township Areas Development Act.

They said the Act did not empower the State government to notify a particular area as industrial area and accord clearance for the project in the area. It was applicable only to projects coming up in already declared industrial areas.

They contended that the project would damage the ecosystem of the area. They also pointed out that there was no need for an airport at Aranmula as three airports — the Thruvananthapuram, Cochin, and Navy airports — were located within 150 km radius of Aranmula.

Sharma in his petition said that the Aranmula had been declared as a global heritage village by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. .If a airport came up there, it would destroy the heritage character of the village, he said.

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