The Greens are against the move to revive the Cheekkalloor airstrip project in Wayanad

Paddy fields at Cheekkalloor in Wayanad, which form the bulk of the land required for the proposed airstrip. | Photo credit: file photo

The Greens have opposed an alleged move to revive the proposed Cheekkalloor airstrip project in environmentally sensitive Wayanad, warning that it could displace hundreds of families, destroy paddy fields and threaten water security in parts of the district and adjoining areas of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The Wayanad Prakruthi Samrakshana Samiti (WPSS) called on the Kerala government to abandon the project.

WPSS president N. Badusha said the airstrip in Kaniyambetta grama panchayat would require the displacement of more than 1,000 families, including about 50 Adivasi families who were displaced under the Banasurasagar and Karapuzha projects. This would also mean the reclamation of approximately 500 acres of cultivable paddy fields.

The samiti alleged that there was a conspiracy involving land mafias, real estate agents, the Chamber of Commerce and those in power to push through the project, which would “bring no tangible benefits to Wayanad”. It warned that any attempt to push through the project without public consent would be rejected in cooperation with farmers.

An earlier move by the then Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government to build an airstrip had sparked widespread protests more than a decade ago. The project was subsequently stopped after the then Leader of Opposition VS Achuthanandan visited the site.

The proposal gained momentum again in 2022 when a meeting of political parties chaired by Kalpetta MLA T. Siddique, now Agriculture Minister, decided to expedite steps to set up an airstrip. Earlier this year, KIIFCON-RITES, a joint venture, was tasked with carrying out a feasibility study of potential sites after winning the bid last June. After the UDF returned to power in May this year, demands for the implementation of the project gathered pace, with Cheekkalloor remaining the priority location. Last week, the Kaniyambetta grama panchayat passed a resolution urging the government to set up an airstrip at Cheekkalloor.

The renewed pressure prompted opponents, including farmers, to plan protests and conventions.

Mr. Badusha argued that the proposed project would be in violation of the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act.

“Over the past 25 years, the area under rice cultivation in Wayanad has shrunk to a tenth of its original extent. The Cheekkalloor fields are among the largest and most fertile remaining paddy fields in the district. Most of the land required for the proposed runway comprises paddy fields, which would have to be filled and raised by 6.5 meters. These fields are vital to Wayanad.

The filling of the Cherupuzha river, which flows through this tract, could also cause flooding in neighboring areas and severely affect the flow of the Kabani river with unpredictable consequences for Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Mr. Badusha added.

Cheekkalloor district is also a major center of dairy farming. Farmers fear that the loss of paddy fields would deal a severe blow to cattle farming.

The WPSS proposed that runway proponents identify an alternative site from 1.6 thousand acres of land, which the organization said the Supreme Court and Supreme Court had declared to be government-owned, with current residents only having cultivation rights.

Published – 22 Oct 2026 07:00 IST