Bhubaneswar, April 4 The Centre has given in-principle approval for Stage-1 forest clearance for the proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport in Puri, officials said on Saturday.
The greenfield airport project, proposed by former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in 2021, has received conditional clearance to convert approximately 27 hectares of forest land for construction.
Puri district collector Divyajyoti Parida said that Stage-I clearance by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is subject to fulfilling conditions, including compensatory afforestation, wildlife conservation, and adherence to environmental regulations.
"Once these conditions are met, the project can seek Stage-II clearance, which grants full approval for construction," he added.
The official said that the concerned ministry has conveyed its approval in a letter to the state government.
The approval permits diversion of 27.887 hectares of forest land under the Puri Forest Division for the airport project, in accordance with Section 2 (1) (ii) of the Act.
The proposed airport will be developed over 1,164 acres at Girala village, with an estimated project cost of Rs 5,631 crore. The first phase is designed to handle approximately 46 lakh passengers annually, significantly improving connectivity and boosting tourism in Puri.
It is expected to significantly enhance direct connectivity between Puri and major metropolitan cities across India, strengthening tourism and regional development, officials said.