Proposed Puri airport may threaten migratory birds, turtles: Wildlife institute

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) on Friday warned that the proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport in Odisha’s Puri district could pose a “catastrophic” risk to migratory bird populations and threaten critical habitats of endangered marine species such as Olive Ridley turtles. Proposed Puri airport near Chilika Ramsar site may endanger migratory birds and Olive Ridley turtles, says Wildlife Institute of India. (Representative photo)

The airport, located at Sipasurubali village in Brahmagiri tehsil over 471 hectares of land, recently secured in-principle Stage-I approval from the ministry of environment, forest and climate change for diversion of 27.887 hectares of forest land, but with a rider that the user agency will implement mitigation measures, including a site-specific wildlife management plan recommended by WII and the Zoological Survey of India.

“The planned greenfield airport proposal may be rejected as it is quite near to the existing Bhubaneswar Airport... and is in close proximity to the Chilika Ramsar Site,” the WII team said in its recommendations, emphasising that the interests of wildlife and wetland integrity should remain paramount. HT has reviewed the WII’s recommendations.

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Highlighting that the proposed site sits just 200 metres from the sea coast, placing it within a sensitive “no-development” zone, the WII report said, “More critically, the project boundary is in close proximity to the Balukhanda-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary and roughly 16 kilometers from Chilika Lake, a Ramsar site of international importance.”

Citing its proximity to the Balukhanda-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary and migratory bird corridors forming part of the Central Asian Flyway, the WII said this significantly increases the risk of bird strikes, posing hazards to aviation safety as well as wildlife conservation.

The report cited international precedents, including fatal bird strike incidents near wetlands such as the Muan International Airport in South Korea, where a collision involving a flock of migratory Baikal teals led to 179 deaths in December 2024. Similarly, the Bahir Dar International Airport in Ethiopia, located just 4 kilometers from Lake Tana, recorded a catastrophic strike in 1988 that claimed 35 lives.

The WII said that 95% of bird strikes occur below 2,000 feet — the exact altitude aircraft would occupy while approaching or departing a runway located within 13 to 18.5 kilometers of a major bird habitat like Chilika.

Based on these ecological risks, the report said that if wildlife protection is treated as paramount, “the planned greenfield airport proposal may be rejected” due to its proximity to the Ramsar site and an existing airport in Bhubaneswar located approximately 65 km away.

Threat to marine species and coastal ecology

Beyond aviation risks, the report said the project posed a direct threat to the Olive Ridley turtle, a Schedule I protected species, as nesting grounds for these turtles are located just 2.3 kilometers from the proposed site. It also documented the presence of Irrawaddy dolphin in the contiguous sea, adding that the coast serves as a critical migration route between Satpada and Konark.

Pointing out that construction would necessitate the felling of 13,504 trees, the WII report said these plantations currently act as a “bio-shield” and shelter belt, protecting inland areas from sand dune expansion, saltwater intrusion, and the severe cyclones that frequently strike the Odisha coast.

“The existing tree species act as wind breaks... if felled, will have a detrimental impact on the ecology of the area,” the report warned, adding that the project area is increasingly exposed to the “vagaries” of tidal influence and severe weather.

Concerns over clearances and compliance

The WII also questioned the transparency of the proposal, stressing that the project was not presented as an “integrated project,” as a six-lane expressway and approach roads were omitted from the current proposal to obtain easier environmental clearances.

It said the user agency has already violated the Forest Conservation Act by constructing a 1,400-metre boundary wall extending to the sea line before obtaining necessary clearances.

The WII presented two potential scenarios to the government: full rejection of the proposal to protect the ecosystem, or, if the project is deemed “unavoidable,” the imposition of 10 mandatory, binding mitigation measures such as establishing a 10-kilometre ecological baseline, using only turtle-friendly lighting, implementing radar-based bird deterrent systems, and modifying runway orientations to avoid migratory corridors.

The report stressed that these studies and safeguards must be commissioned prior to granting any statutory clearances.

The Zoological Survey of India is conducting a year-long study on the habitat and migration routes of turtles and dolphins in the area to provide further data for a final decision.