NAGPUR: Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC), the state govt company which also developed Mihan-SEZ, will be acquiring 229 hectares land to build an airport in the Maoist-affected Gadchiroli district. A government resolution (GR) appointing it as the acquisition agency for the greenfield airport project was issued on Friday. MADC will be taking over 229 hectares land, which includes private and govt holdings for the project to be developed by it, says the GR. The land is spread over four villages — Murkhada, Pulkhal, Kanori, and Mudjha.
The site is located close to Gadchiroli town. Sources said the prefeasibility study for the project was completed by Airport Authority of India (AAI), paving the way for land acquisition. This includes a study of runway approach, wind direction, and other technical aspects.
“The airport is being built to increase the standard of living of the district with a predominant tribal population. The facility will bring the locals into the mainstream as the district’s progress will add to the overall development of the state,” says the GR.
The initial objective of having an airport at Gadchiroli was to facilitate the movement of troops during anti-Maoist operations. Even as helicopters are deployed in the area, night operations are not possible with choppers. Having an airport where fixed-wing aircraft can also land would help in better preparedness, said a source part of the project.
However, major industrial development happening in the district has changed the requirement also. It has led to the need for air connectivity for commercial purposes too. Lately, there has been a surge in mining activities and more investment is expected in the sector. The govt also plans to have air connectivity to major cities like Mumbai and Delhi to facilitate faster access, the source said.
The initial idea was to build a runway of around 2,500 to 2,800 meters, which can enable the landing of wide-bodied aircraft at Gadchiroli. Although the final plans are yet to be approved, the source said.
If everything, including the land acquisition, happens within the expected time, it may take four to five years to have an airport at Gadchiroli, said sources.
MADC has airports at Amravati, Solapur, Karad, Pune, and Shirdi under it, apart from the facility at Nagpur. For the Nagpur airport, it has entered into a concessionaire agreement with GMR for its brownfield expansion. GMR will be taking over the operations, which were so far run by Mihan India Limited (MIL), the joint venture between MADC and Airports Authority of India (AAI).
