Kerala Revenue department orders probe into drone survey at Aranmula airport site
Taking cognisance of media reports about a drone survey at the site of the proposed airport project at Aranmula, the Revenue department has sought a
Taking cognisance of media reports about a drone survey at the site of the proposed airport project at Aranmula, the Revenue department has sought a report on the incident. Confirming the development, Pathanamthitta District Collector A. Nizamudeen said reports had been sought from the Tahsildar and the village officer concerned. “The Revenue department has no firsthand information about the conduct of a drone survey in the area, other than media reports and claims made by a private individual. The report will ascertain the circumstances under which a private individual conducted a survey on a property that has already been declared surplus land and is currently in the possession of the Revenue department,” the Collector said.
Official sources said allegations that Revenue officials had facilitated the survey conducted by Abraham Kalamannil would also be investigated. Once the report is received, details of the alleged unauthorised action will be brought to the notice of the Kerala High Court, which is scheduled to consider the Aranmula surplus land case on July 16. Meanwhile, the authorities have made it clear that no further drone survey will be permitted at the site. Land in question The 232 acres of land in question, earmarked for the now defunct airport project, are spread across Aranmula, Mallappuzhassery, and Kidangannur villages. The Kozhencherry Taluk Land Board declared the property surplus land in July 2017.
The promoters of the airport project subsequently approached the Kerala High Court and obtained a stay on the proceedings. Legal challenges to the decision are now pending before the court. The latest controversy was triggered after Mr. Kalamannil conducted a drone survey of the area on Friday (July 10, 2026) with a team of experts brought in from Delhi. Speaking to the media, Mr. Kalamannil also claimed that the new United Democratic Front (UDF) government, Aranmula MLA Abin Varkey Kodiyattu and Pathanamthitta MP Anto Antony were favourably disposed towards the project. He also said the company would return to conduct a second phase of the survey.
Airport proposal The Aranmula airport proposal dates back to 2004, when Mr. Kalamannil initiated preliminary steps for the project. It received in-principle approval during the tenure of the V.S. Achuthanandan government. After the Oommen Chandy government assumed office in 2011, the project area was declared an industrial zone. The proposal, however, subsequently ran aground in the face of a major public agitation. In May 2014, the Green Tribunal (NGT) quashed the environmental clearance granted to the project. The proceedings ground to a halt after the Supreme Court upheld the tribunal’s order.
The BriefWire