Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) National Spokesperson Felix Gerald has accused television media of promoting a “manufactured narrative” over the proposed Parandur greenfield airport project, after a television anchor reportedly claimed that Parandur was the least damaging site among the locations considered for Chennai’s second airport.
Gerald made the remarks while responding to a debate on Puthiya Thalaimurai, where the anchor reportedly defended the original selection of Parandur by stating that a scientific feasibility assessment had found it to be the “least damaged” or least disruptive option among the shortlisted sites.
Gerald questioned the basis of the claim and challenged the anchor to produce the official report or study supporting it.
According to Gerald, no such document was produced during the debate. He subsequently accused television anchors of acting as “secondary spokespersons for the DMK” and argued that claims presented as neutral journalism must be backed by official evidence.
When television anchors act as secondary spokespersons for the DMK, exposing the fake narrative becomes necessary.
On Puthiya Thalaimurai, the anchor claimed Parandur was the “least damaged” site among all those considered. Yet, when challenged to produce the official report or… pic.twitter.com/uWU2rsN8j3— Felix Gerald (@FelixGerald_TVK) August 29, 2026
However, an official technical pre-feasibility and justification report prepared by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) appears to provide documentary support for at least some aspects of the anchor’s claim.
AAI-TIDCO Report Compares Pannur And Parandur
An excerpt from page five of the report contains a technical comparison between the two final shortlisted sites for Chennai’s second greenfield airport — Pannur and Parandur.
The comparison covers factors including land availability, tentative land acquisition cost and the number of families likely to be displaced.
According to the table in the report, Pannur had approximately 4,284 acres of available land, compared with 5,351 acres at Parandur.
The tentative land cost was also higher for Pannur, while the estimated number of families facing displacement was 1,546 at Pannur compared with 1,005 at Parandur.
Is this evidence enough to establish that the impact was least ,or do we need the full Government Order @FelixGerald_TVK sir ? https://t.co/46BLi81GaR pic.twitter.com/uXz24Jv3Do
— Vignesh Theni (@Vignesh_twitz) August 29, 2026
The report therefore records a lower estimated human displacement impact for Parandur than Pannur, one of the factors cited in favour of the site.
Report Calls Parandur The ‘Most Suitable’ Site
More significantly, Clause 10 of the report explicitly concludes that Parandur emerged as the “most suitable” site based on AAI’s evaluation.
The reasons listed in the report include Parandur’s closer proximity to the upcoming Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway, lower human displacement, fewer operational industrial obstacles and the availability of large tracts of vacant, structure-free land that could facilitate future expansion of the airport.
The document therefore establishes that Parandur was not selected arbitrarily. The site was assessed against Pannur on multiple technical parameters before being identified as the preferred location.
The document, however, requires some qualification when it comes to the specific phrase “least damaged”.
The AAI-TIDCO report does support the broader contention that Parandur was considered the most suitable site and that it had a lower estimated displacement impact than Pannur.
TVK Government Cancelled Parandur Project
The issue has gained significance after the TVK government cancelled the proposed Parandur airport project, portraying the decision as a move to protect agricultural land, water bodies and wetlands in the region.
The government has argued that the project would have affected thousands of acres of agricultural land and critical water resources.
The DMK, meanwhile, has criticised the cancellation, alleging that it would push Tamil Nadu’s industrial and infrastructure development backwards and accusing the TVK government of taking the decision for political reasons.
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