The Kerala government informed the High Court in Kochi that it would withdraw the preliminary notifications issued to acquire land for the Sabarimala Greenfield airport in Kottayam district. It was also stated by the government that a fresh Social Impact Assessment (SIA) study would be conducted for the project through a different agency. These submissions were made during the court hearing on June 20, in response to a plea filed by a charitable trust and its managing trustee challenging the land acquisition notification.
Following the government's submissions, Justice Viju Abraham decided to close the petition "leaving open all other contentions on both sides". Earlier, on April 25, the court had instructed the state government to refrain from taking any further action related to the preliminary notification for land acquisition for the Sabarimala Greenfield airport for a period of two months.
