Puri Greenfield Airport Gets Environmental Clearance, Advancing INR 5,631 Crore Project in Odisha

October 09, 2026

The proposed Puri Greenfield Airport in Odisha has received environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance, marking a major regulatory milestone for the INR 5,631 crore project. The airport is planned over about 471.348 hectares at Sipasarubali in Puri district, with Phase I designed for a passenger handling capacity of 4.6 million passengers per annum (MPA). The latest approvals advance the project toward detailed planning and execution, although construction has not yet begun.

The clearance marks a major environmental milestone, but it does not by itself mean that airport construction has begun. Current reports indicate that the state still has further procedural steps to complete, including ministry-level approvals and preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR).

Has Puri Greenfield Airport Received Environmental Clearance?

Yes. October 7, 2026 reports state that the Puri airport has received final EC and CRZ clearance from MoEFCC. The project was submitted as a combined EC and CRZ proposal by the Commerce and Transport Department, Government of Odisha. The PARIVESH record identifies it as a Category A project under item 7(a), Airports, of the EIA Notification, 2006, requiring central-level appraisal.

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) recommended environmental clearance on June 26, 2025, subject to the required forest and CRZ clearances and associated conditions. The final October 2026 approval therefore represents the completion of a major stage in the environmental approval process.

Where Will Shree Jagannath International Airport Be Developed?

The airport is planned at Sipasarubali in Puri district. The latest October 2026 reports put the project area at 471.348 hectares, or approximately 1,164 acres. The earlier PARIVESH appraisal record recorded 471.401 hectares for the combined EC and CRZ proposal. Earlier reports described the site as about 1,164 acres, which is broadly consistent with an area of about 471 hectares. Because the figures differ slightly between project records and later reporting, the final EC and land records should be treated as the authoritative basis for the approved project area.

The project also required CRZ appraisal because portions of the proposed development and associated infrastructure fall within the coastal regulatory framework. The PARIVESH record confirms that the application was processed as a combined EC and CRZ proposal under the CRZ Notification, 2019.

What is the Estimated Investment and Passenger Capacity?

The currently reported project cost is about INR 5,631 crore. Phase I is planned for approximately 4.6 million passengers per annum. Later phases have previously been described with higher capacity targets, but these should be treated as project-planning figures rather than independently sanctioned capacity until confirmed by the final DPR and project approvals.

The proposed airport is also associated with wider connectivity improvements between Bhubaneswar and Puri. However, the proposed six-lane corridor should not be presented as part of the airport project itself. Earlier forest-appraisal records specifically noted that the proposed expressway had not been included within the airport proposal.

What Environmental and CRZ Approvals Have Been Obtained?

The key approval history is:

• Site clearance: The Ministry of Civil Aviation granted site clearance for the greenfield airport on September 22, 2023.
• Terms of Reference: The EAC recommended ToR for the EIA process on November 20, 2023.
• CRZ recommendation: The Odisha Coastal Zone Management Authority recommended the project for composite EC and CRZ clearance on March 16, 2024.
• EAC environmental recommendation: The EAC recommended EC on June 26, 2025, subject to the required clearances and conditions.

The project involves diversion of approximately 27.887 hectares of forest land. MoEFCC had earlier granted Stage-I, or in-principle, forest approval subject to 33 conditions, including compensatory afforestation and implementation of wildlife mitigation measures. October 2026 reports indicate progress in addressing the forest-related conditions. However, the status of final forest clearance and any remaining statutory requirements should be confirmed against the latest official approval records. The project is still subject to the remaining ministry-level formalities and approvals reported by the state authorities.

On October 7, 2026, Odisha government officials and multiple reports stated that MoEFCC had granted the final environmental and CRZ clearances for the project.

What Steps Remain Before Construction?

The October 2026 reporting indicates that environmental and forest-related milestones have advanced substantially, but construction should not be treated as automatically authorised by the EC alone. Reports state that the Odisha government is awaiting a further ministry-level approval or NOC and intends to approach the Airports Authority of India (AAI) regarding preparation of the DPR.

The remaining project pathway should therefore be described in terms of the specific conditions and approvals applicable to the final project, rather than as a fixed universal sequence. These may include completion of DPR and project structuring, land and site readiness, funding and procurement decisions, compliance with clearance conditions, and other aviation, construction and statutory approvals applicable to the project. The earlier forest approval imposed multiple conditions, including compensatory afforestation and wildlife safeguards. The state was required to comply with those conditions before final forest approval.

What Role Will AAI Play?

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has agreed to develop the Puri airport with its investment, according to October 7, 2026 reporting quoting Odisha's Commerce & Transport department. AAI is expected to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) after the remaining statutory formalities are completed. The DPR will establish the detailed technical scope, development phasing, investment requirements and other project parameters. The revenue-sharing arrangement between AAI and the Odisha government remains under discussion.

How Could the Project Support Infrastructure Development in Odisha?

The proposed airport is intended to improve direct air connectivity to Puri, an important pilgrimage and tourism destination, and reduce reliance on Bhubaneswar for some passenger traffic. It could also support associated investment in roads, hospitality, utilities and other tourism infrastructure.

These are potential project benefits rather than realised outcomes. Their scale will depend on the airport's eventual development, connectivity, traffic demand, operating model and implementation of the environmental safeguards.

Environmental clearance removes a major approval hurdle, but it does not complete the project. For Puri, the next priority is to confirm the remaining approvals, final project configuration and clearance conditions and translate them into an executable engineering and procurement plan.

IMARC Engineering's Perspective

The period between environmental clearance and construction is critical for a greenfield infrastructure project. For a coastal airport such as the proposed Puri facility, three engineering priorities are particularly important. First, clearance conditions should be converted into a structured compliance register and incorporated into the DPR, engineering packages and construction planning.

Second, the coastal site requires detailed geotechnical investigation, drainage planning, earthworks design and resilience measures. These factors are important for the long-term performance of runways, aprons and associated infrastructure.

Third, wildlife and ecological mitigation should be incorporated into construction planning and sequencing rather than treated as a separate compliance exercise.

A DPR based on the confirmed site area, environmental conditions, forest status, project configuration and approved capacity provides a stronger basis for financing, procurement and execution. IMARC Engineering supports large infrastructure projects with feasibility studies, DPR preparation, engineering and regulatory planning, and EPCM support.