Flooding and mudslips near Kannur airport, families demand acquisition of properties

Kannur: Families living near the Kannur airport are demanding the acquisition of their properties after having to deal with recurrent flash floods. The state cabinet had decided to acquire 71.85 cents of land adjacent to the plot earlier acquired for category 1 lighting on the airport runway in December 2023. With the delay in acquiring their land, 14 families living close to the airport are in a fix.

Nine houses were initially included in the first stage of acquisition and five more houses were added later considering the safety. The place has witnessed mudslips and flash floods on several occasions since the ground was raised to install approach lights. The people living in the Kallerikkara Vayalatt have been raising concerns since 2017.

''The runway is constructed around 50 metres above our properties. The water and mud from the runway flow to our properties during rainy season. It has contaminated our wells and the presence of coliform bacteria has also been found in tests. We want the government to acquire our land as soon as possible by providing a satisfactory compensation,'' said P Gangadharan, one of the residents. Nine among the 14 families living here had been earlier relocated to this area as part of the first stage of airport construction.

''We need a solution to the crisis we are facing. The land owners here have approached different government bodies including the Chief Minister. However, a decision on the acquisition and the compensation is still pending. The water we consume is highly polluted,'' Gangadharan added. Onmanorama contacted the district revenue authorities seeking comments, however there was no response.