Jamshedpur airport project on fast track
JAMSHEDPUR: The long pending Jamshedpur International Airport project is now on the fast track. Jharkhand civil aviation secretary KK Khandelwal has sought detailed reports on the two proposed airport sites from Seraikela-Kharsawan deputy commissioner.
On August 3, during a discussion about the airport project with Jamshedpur MP Vidyut Baran Mahato, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told him union minister of state for civil aviation minister Jayant Sinha would visit Jamshedpur soon in this regard. Mahato also had a talk with Sinha who told him that Jamshedpur airport was a top priority of the Modi government.
“I’ve inspected both the proposed sites for Jamshedpur airport in Seraikela-Kharsawan district and discussed the details with the DC and other officials. I have sought a detailed report on the topography, power transmission, mobile towers and industries around the sites,” Khandelwal said on Monday.
Srinivasan said they have started preparing report on the topography in the Kandra area. “We will send the report to the state government in a week,” the DC said.
The other 500-acre site is located in Burudih area under Gamharia block of the district, close to the upcoming two-lane bridge over Subarnarekha River in Sonari area of Jamshedpur.
He said a separate report will be sent to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) shortly, as an AAI team had inspected the sites on July 20 and sought additional information. As per the proposal, the runway would be 1700 feet wide and 3.2 km long.
Jamshedpur MP Vidyut Baran Mahato said, “An international airport will need at least 50 flights and sustainable number of passengers. I have also proposed a third site near NH-33 in Pipla-Narga areas under MGM police station area, close to Jamshedpur city.”