Airport expansion: residents up in arms

Residents of Bharathi Nagar, Bharathi Nagar Extension and other residential localities close to the international airport staged a demonstration here on Sunday opposing the proposed move to acquire their lands for airport expansion.

The demonstration comes a few days after notices were issued to residents of Bharathi Nagar Extension and measurements of their houses taken by a team from the Public Works Department.

Shocked over the recent action of the authorities in serving notices, a group of residents attached to wards 35 and 37 assembled along the Wireless Road in the evening and staged a demonstration urging the revenue authorities not to acquire their lands or demolish their homes for the airport expansion project.

Evicting the residents now would adversely affect their livelihood and the education of their wards studying in schools situated in the vicinity, said K. Moorthy, president of the Bharathi Nagar and Bharathi Nagar Extension Residents Association.

Mr. Moorthy said residents of the area had constructed houses after obtaining due approval from the Corporation and other agencies and evicting them all of a sudden at this stage would severely hit their livelihood.

“What is important for the residents is their livelihood and no amount could compensate for this”, he further said.

Lands situated in the western side of the airport should not be acquired for expansion as it had several residential localities, he added.

Source:http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/airport-expansion-residents-up-in-arms/article20559671.ece