What Happened
- The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has recommended against the proposed greenfield international airport near Puri, Odisha, citing unacceptably high risk of bird strikes.
- The proposed site at Sipasarubali is located close to Chilika Lake — Asia's largest brackish water lagoon and one of India's most important wetlands for migratory birds.
- WII's assessment found that the proximity to Chilika, which hosts over one million migratory birds annually, creates a persistent and severe bird strike hazard to aircraft.
- The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) had previously deferred clearance for the Rs 5,631-crore project spread over 471.34 hectares, directing that WII's recommendations be obtained.
- The project site is also near nesting habitats of Olive Ridley turtles and habitats of the Irrawaddy dolphin, raising broader ecological red flags.
- The FAC noted concerns about the airport's coastal location, cyclone vulnerability, and interference with key migratory bird flight corridors.
Static Topic Bridges
Chilika Lake: India's Most Important Wetland
Chilika Lake is a brackish water lagoon located on Odisha's eastern coast, spread across the districts of Puri, Khurda, and Ganjam. It is Asia's largest brackish water lagoon and one of India's most ecologically significant wetlands.
- Area: Approximately 116,500 hectares (about 1,165 sq km); roughly 64.5 km long and 5–18 km wide.
- Designated India's first Ramsar Site (Wetland of International Importance) in 1981.
- Listed on the Montreux Record (Ramsar's threatened wetland register) in 1993; removed in 2002 after successful conservation efforts.
- Hosts over 230 bird species, of which 95 are migratory (inter-continental and local migrants).
- Attracts over one million waterfowl annually during winter migration (late September to April; peak: mid-December to mid-January).
- Birds arrive from the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Russia, Central and Southeast Asia, Ladakh, and the Himalayas.
- Nalabana Island within Chilika is a designated Bird Sanctuary.
- The lake supports 118 species of fish and is ecologically connected to the Bay of Bengal through a seasonal inlet.
Connection to this news: The sheer volume and diversity of migratory birds using Chilika as a wintering habitat makes any airport within its flight corridors inherently dangerous. Aircraft and large flocks of birds at low altitudes (during take-off and landing) create potentially catastrophic collision risks — which WII has now formally flagged.
Bird Strikes and Aviation Safety
A bird strike is a collision between a bird (or bat) and an aircraft in flight, or during take-off and landing. Bird strikes are a significant aviation safety concern globally.
- Bird strikes cost global aviation an estimated $1.2–1.4 billion annually in damages and disruption.
- The majority of incidents occur below 3,000 feet altitude — during approach, landing, and initial climb — when aircraft overlap with bird flight paths.
- Large migratory waterfowl (pelicans, geese, flamingos) pose greater strike hazards than smaller birds due to mass and flocking behaviour.
- In India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) maintains a Bird/Wildlife Strike Database and mandates bird hazard management programmes at airports.
- A 1972 Supreme Court ruling (Re: Airports Authority of India context) and subsequent DGCA circulars regulate land use around airports, including restrictions on activities that attract birds (open garbage, slaughterhouses, wetlands).
Connection to this news: Chilika's million-bird congregation during winter migration directly falls within the altitudes at which aircraft operate during approach and departure from a Puri airport. The WII recommendation reflects standard aviation safety principles applied to an unusually high-risk ecological setting.
Greenfield Airport Clearance Process in India
Establishing a new greenfield airport in India requires multiple clearances, reflecting the intersection of infrastructure development with environment, wildlife, and land laws.
- Site Clearance: Granted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation based on feasibility studies; Puri received preliminary site clearance in 2021.
- Environmental Clearance (EC): Required under the Environment Protection Act, 1986; assessed by the Expert Appraisal Committee under MoEFCC.
- Forest Clearance (FC): Required under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, if the site includes forest land; the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) advises the MoEFCC.
- Wildlife Clearance: Required from the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) and the WII if the project is within 10 km of a Protected Area or identified wildlife corridor.
- Aerodrome Licence: Granted by DGCA under the Aircraft Act, 1934.
Connection to this news: The WII's role in the Puri airport clearance process exemplifies the mandatory wildlife assessment step in greenfield infrastructure projects. Its rejection marks a significant setback for the project and signals the importance of ecological impact assessments in India's infrastructure expansion.
Key Facts & Data
- Proposed project: Rs 5,631-crore greenfield international airport, Sipasarubali, near Puri, Odisha; 471.34 hectares.
- Chilika Lake: Asia's largest brackish water lagoon; India's first Ramsar Site (1981); 116,500 hectares.
- Bird species at Chilika: 230+ species; over 1 million migratory birds annually; 95 migratory species.
- Birds migrate from Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Russia, and Central Asia.
- Peak migration: mid-December to mid-January; migration season: late September to April.
- FAC had deferred clearance; directed WII assessment before approval.
- Additional ecological concerns: Olive Ridley turtle nesting zones, Irrawaddy dolphin habitats.
- Nilabana Bird Sanctuary is located within Chilika Lake (Puri district).