Centre nod for Puri international airport despite WII red flags

Wildlife Institute of India warns of ecological damage and aviation risks at proposed Puri airport site after MoEFCC clears forest land diversion

Even as the Odisha government secured in-principle Stage-I clearance from the Centre for diversion of forest land for a proposed international airport at Puri, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) warned of ecological consequences, flagging that the project could pose serious risks to Irrawaddy dolphins, Olive Ridley turtles, and aviation safety, with migratory birds posing a danger to flights.

 

On April 1, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) conveyed to the state’s Forest Department that in-principle approval under the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, had been accorded for diversion of 27.887 hectares of forest land for construction of the proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport. The greenfield airport will be developed with an investment of over Rs 5,631 crore.

   

However, based on a site inspection conducted in July 2025, the WII pointed out that the proposed airport site at Sipasarubali in Brahmagiri tehsil lies within a highly sensitive ecological landscape, barely 16 km from Chilika Lake, a Ramsar site and a prominent wintering ground for migratory birds, and is in close proximity to the Balukhanda-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary.

 

“The site is also located along the Central Asian Flyway, one of the world’s major migratory bird corridors, significantly increasing the risk of bird-aircraft collisions, particularly during take-off and landing phases when aircraft operate at lower altitudes,” stated the inspection report reviewed by Business Standard.

 

The coastal stretch near the proposed airport, the report said, is not only critical for avifauna but also overlaps with important marine habitats. Field observations and earlier inspections have recorded the presence of Irrawaddy dolphins along the Satpada–Konark–Puri–Astarang corridor, with dolphin groups sighted as close as 5 km from the project site. “The area is also linked to sporadic nesting zones of Olive Ridley turtles, with key nesting grounds located within a few kilometres, raising concerns about the impact of noise, light pollution, and increased human activity.”

 

The project site lies about 200 metres from the coastline and falls within Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) categories, including the ‘No Development Zone’, making it vulnerable to tidal influences and extreme weather events. The WII said the region is part of ecologically significant marine and coastal landscapes recognised under international frameworks such as Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSA) and Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMA).

 

The institute also drew attention to global evidence linking airports near wetlands with increased bird strike incidents. Citing examples such as Muan International Airport and Bahir Dar International Airport, both located close to Ramsar wetlands and associated with fatal bird strike events, WII warned that similar risks could emerge in Puri, given the congregation of water birds and migratory species around Chilika. It also cited international guidelines from the International Civil Aviation Organisation, which discourage developing airports within a 13-km radius of areas that attract wildlife, particularly birds.

 

“The diversion of forest land would involve felling over 13,500 trees in an area classified as moderately dense forest, which currently acts as a natural shelter belt against coastal hazards, stabilises sand dunes, and prevents saltwater intrusion,” the institute said, and cautioned that removal of this vegetation could aggravate ecological vulnerability and increase exposure to cyclones, which are frequent along Odisha’s coast.

 

The WII was roped in for the study by the Odisha government after the project earlier faced scrutiny from the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the MoEFCC, which in December 2024 raised concerns over the region’s ecological sensitivity and sought detailed studies on the habitat and migratory routes of Olive Ridley turtles and Irrawaddy dolphins.

 

The in-principle approval by the Centre, despite the WII’s red flags, has, however, left environmentalists surprised. Prof Jaya Krushna Panigrahi, working president of Orissa Environmental Society (OES), said WII’s concerns are genuine and that ignoring the issues raised in its reports would be catastrophic. “The project location is vulnerable to tsunamis and cyclones due to its proximity to the Bay of Bengal coast. Besides the ecological aspects, the government should also reconsider the location and shift it to somewhere between Bhubaneswar and Puri,” he suggested.

 

What the WII recommends

 

In its recommendations, WII has called for urgent, comprehensive ecological studies before any final decision is taken. These must include mapping migratory bird routes along the Central Asian Flyway, establishing baseline population data for key species within a 10-km radius, and assessing both direct impacts, such as habitat loss and fragmentation, and indirect impacts, including bird strikes, underwater noise stress on dolphins, and light-induced disorientation of turtles.

 

It suggested a range of mitigation measures in case the project proceeds, including redesigning runway orientation to avoid migratory corridors, installing radar-based bird detection systems, adopting turtle-friendly lighting, relocating garbage dumps that attract birds, and implementing dolphin-safe operational protocols.

 

At the same time, WII acknowledged the state’s developmental aspirations and outlined a second scenario where, if the project is deemed unavoidable, stringent mitigation measures must be made legally binding on the project proponent. It emphasised that comprehensive ecological studies should ideally precede statutory clearances, rather than follow them, and must be accompanied by a transparent and continuous monitoring mechanism.

 

The report underlined that India currently has no airports located in close proximity to major wetlands, making the Puri proposal a potentially risky precedent. Global aviation norms, particularly those prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, require rigorous ecological assessments and mitigation planning in such cases, it stressed.

 

In its recommendations, WII has called for urgent, comprehensive ecological studies before any final decision is taken. These must include mapping migratory bird routes along the Central Asian Flyway, establishing baseline population data for key species within a 10-km radius, and assessing both direct impacts, such as habitat loss and fragmentation, and indirect impacts, including bird strikes, underwater noise stress on dolphins, and light-induced disorientation of turtles.

 

It suggested a range of mitigation measures in case the project proceeds, including redesigning runway orientation to avoid migratory corridors, installing radar-based bird detection systems, adopting turtle-friendly lighting, relocating garbage dumps that attract birds, and implementing dolphin-safe operational protocols.

 

The institute also recommended adopting sustainable coastal management practices, drawing parallels with Blue Flag beach standards, for all associated infrastructure development, besides emphasising that all such measures must be legally binding and backed by robust, transparent monitoring mechanisms.