Bhubaneswar: In a major boost to Odisha’s infrastructure and connectivity, the Centre has granted Stage-I (in-principle) approval for diversion of forest land for the construction of the proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport in Puri.
As per sources, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has conveyed its approval in a letter to the state government. The clearance follows due process under the provisions of Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980 – Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
The proposal for the international airport, submitted by the Odisha government, was examined by the Advisory Committee constituted under the Act on February 27, 2026. After detailed evaluation and recommendations, the competent authority granted Stage-I approval.
The approval permits diversion of 27.887 hectares of DLC forest land under the Puri Forest Division for the airport project, in accordance with Section 2 (1) (ii) of the Act.
The latest clearance comes after the Centre had granted in-principle approval last year for setting up a greenfield airport in the seaside pilgrim town of Puri.
The proposed airport is expected to significantly enhance direct connectivity between Puri and major metropolitan cities across India, strengthening tourism and regional development, officials said.