Andal, located in Buwdwan District of West Bengal, is going to be the site of India’s first Airetropolis. This will be a private airport city. The total cost of the project will be about 5 billion dollars and based on 3500 acres of land. The city will be owned by the Singapore’s Changi International Airport, and constructed by Bengal Airetropolis Project Limited. |
| Name of conflict: | Andal Airetropolis, India |
| Country: | India |
| State or province: | West Bengal |
| Location of conflict: | Andal, Burdwan |
| Accuracy of location | HIGH (Local level) |
| Type of conflict. 1st level: | Infrastructure and Built Environment |
| Type of conflict. 2nd level: | Urban development conflicts Ports and airport projects Manufacturing activities |
| Specific commodities: | Land |
| Project details | Andal, in West Bengal, is going to be the site of India’s first Airetropolis – a private airport city at a cost of 5 billion dollars and based on 3500 acres of land. The city will be owned by the Singapore’s Changi International Airport, and constructed by Bengal Airetropolis Project Limited. In the first phase, initiative was taken for the acquisition of 2362.84 acres of land. |
| Project area: | 1416.4 |
| Level of Investment for the conflictive project | 5,000,000,000 |
| Type of population | Rural |
| Company names or state enterprises: | Bengal Airetropolis Project Limited Pragati 47 Pawan Hans Limited |
| Relevant government actors: | Civil Aviation ministry, Government of India, Government of West Bengal, West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation |
| Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available: | Adhikar (a local group), Local Villagers, Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
| Intensity | MEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization) |
| Reaction stage | In REACTION to the implementation (during construction or operation) |
| Groups mobilizing: | Farmers Landless peasants Local government/political parties Neighbours/citizens/communities Social movements |
| Forms of mobilization: | Blockades Land occupation Public campaigns Street protest/marches Strikes Trinmool Congress Party Communist Party of India (Marxist) Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) Adhikar - Local Group |
| Environmental Impacts | Visible: Food insecurity (crop damage), Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation Potential: Noise pollution |
| Socio-economical Impacts | Visible: Displacement, Lack of work security, labour absenteeism, firings, unemployment, Loss of livelihood, Land dispossession Potential: Violations of human rights, Loss of landscape/sense of place |
| Project Status | Under construction |
| Conflict outcome / response: | Compensation New legislation Under negotiation Application of existing regulations |
| Proposal and development of alternatives: | Local people demand that government should either return their land or pay compensation according to the current market rate. Also, they ask for five years’ wages to over 2,000 farm laborers who became jobless after the land acquisition. |
| Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?: | Not Sure |
| Briefly explain: | Share croppers of the acquired land, alleged that though the land owners had received their compensation the share croppers were deprived. Agitators also claim that there is favoritism in distribution of compensation. The people who are belonging to a particular political party (Trinamool Congress) had received the compensation cheques. While people of other political party have not received the compensation. |
| Juridical relevant texts related to the conflict (laws, legislations, EIAs, etc) |
| ||
| References to published books, academic articles, movies or published documentaries |
| ||
| Related media links to videos, campaigns, social network |
|
| Contributor: | Swapan Kumar Patra |
| Last update | 18/08/2019 |
| Conflict ID: | 946 |