Bhubaneswar, Oct 7: The proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport in Puri has moved a major step closer to construction with the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) granting final environmental clearance (EC) to the greenfield project.

The airport is proposed to be developed over 471 hectares, or around 1,164 acres, at Sipasarubali in Puri district. The final clearance removes a key regulatory hurdle for the ambitious project, which is expected to strengthen air connectivity to the pilgrim city and boost tourism.

Puri Collector Dibyajyoti Parida said the environmental clearance has been granted and an NOC from the MoEFCC will be required before the project can proceed further. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will subsequently give the go-ahead for preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR), paving the way for construction-related activities.

The project had earlier received Stage-I environmental clearance from the MoEFCC on April 4. The forest ministry had also granted in-principle approval in June last year after the Expert Appraisal Committee recommended the proposal on May 6.

The airport is estimated to cost around Rs 5,631 crore and is planned to handle approximately 4.6 million passengers annually.

Officials said 114.961 hectares is required for the runway, including 3.427 hectares of forest land. Another 0.037 hectare of forest land is required for construction of the passenger terminal building. With the final clearance, authorities can now proceed with the next stages of the project.

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