Legal challenge stalls Nagaland's Chiethu airport project

Kohima: Kolkata-based advocate Sanjita Sarkar filed a petition with the National Green Tribunal on September 23. She wants an immediate stop to all work on the proposed Chiethu Greenfield airport in Kohima. The project hangs in the balance. Sarkar demands a fresh review of the site’s technical, economic, and ecological viability before crews break ground.

The application cites the National Green Tribunal Act of 2010. It calls on the Union civil aviation ministry and the Nagaland government to maintain the status quo at the site. Construction must wait. Sarkar argues the 645-acre plateau faces severe seismic risks, difficult terrain, and constant fog. She claims these hazards make the project dangerous and costly.

A 2010 feasibility study suggested the site could only handle smaller ATR-72 aircraft. Plans have since shifted. The current proposal aims to accommodate Airbus A-320 jets. This requires massive hill cutting and earthwork. Sarkar noted that a 2019 Lok Sabha response pegged the cost at Rs 6,000 crore. She pointed to the existing Dimapur airport as a cheaper, more accessible alternative. The petitioner warned that the Kohima site mirrors the risks seen at Pakyong airport in Sikkim. She stated, "The petitioner has therefore sought a fresh assessment of the proposed airport’s technical, economic and ecological viability before the project is taken forward, particularly in view of the scale of expenditure involved."