Tamil Nadu Seeks Site Clearance for 600-Acre Greenfield Airport at Manikaneri Near Rameswaram
The Tamil Nadu government has applied to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation for site clearance for a greenfield airport serving Rameswaram. The site is at Manikaneri in Ramanathapuram district, near Keelakarai. About 600 acres have been set aside. TIDCO is handling the preliminary work.
The state examined five possible sites and shortlisted Uchipuli and Manikaneri. An Airports Authority of India (AAI) team visited both for a pre-feasibility study and recommended Manikaneri, which the state accepted. A survey of the land and existing structures around it was carried out recently. Land acquisition has reportedly begun.
Manikaneri is about 120 km from Madurai and about 140 km from Thoothukudi. Madurai is currently the closest major airport to Rameswaram. The town is reached only by road and rail at present.
Site clearance is expected to take 10 to 12 months. After it, the state must apply for in-principle approval. The airport then has to be built and obtain permissions to start operations. The article gives no investment size, runway specification, capacity or construction timeline.
