The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has recommended against the establishment of a greenfield international airport in Puri, citing that migratory birds pose a huge risk to flights and the proposed location is in close proximity to the Chilika Lake, a Ramsar site and a wetland of international importance.
The Odisha government had proposed the construction of the Shree Jagannath International Airport at Puri on the ground that there is not enough land for further expansion of runways at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar.
The Airports Authority of India and the State government jointly pushed for the Puri project. The Ministry of Civil Aviation had already issued site clearance certificates. The project was proposed to come up on 471.401 hectares at Sipasurubali village of Brahmagiri tehsil in Puri.
Of the total required land, 443.514 hectares is non-forest land and the remaining 27.887 hectares fall under the Puri Wildlife Division’s jurisdiction.
As per the recommendation of the Environment Ministry’s Forest Advisory Committee (FAC), the Commerce and Transport Department in 2025 sought the opinion of the WII. “Keeping in view the concerns raised with regard to the migration routes, threats, and conservation requirements of Olive Ridley turtles, Irrawaddy dolphins along the Puri coast and migratory birds coming to Chilka Lake, the State shall seek the recommendations of the WII on the matter,” the FAC had said.
