Farmers stage protest seeking cancellation of airport project in Ramanathapuram

 Members of Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Association associated with All India Kisan Sabha staged a protest near Uchippuli here on Monday demanding the abandonment of efforts to establish an airport in the Kumbaram area.  

Sami Natarajan, State general secretary of the association, said the area around Kumbaram has millions of coconut and palm trees.  

“It has fertile soil where crops like groundnuts, sesame, and black gram are grown. Groundwater is available at a depth of just two feet,” he added.  

The area which has more than 5,000 houses and waterbodies like ponds, among others, should not be disturbed for the construction of an airport.  

As the government was attempting to acquire about 530 acres of land, Mr. Natarajan said it would shatter the life of hundreds of farmers dependent on the farmland.