The Telangana State government on January 11 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Authority of India (AAI) for implementation of Regional Connectivity Scheme of the Ministry. The scheme envisages provision of air connectivity to smaller towns by developing small airports and airstrips. So Kothagudem, Adilabad and Warangal airports are proposed to be developed in Telangana for better connectivity. To reduce the cost for operators as well as the passengers, the Central and State governments will offer certain concessions. Here, The Hindu examines the status of the infrastructure for air operations in the State.
Kothagudem, an ideal choice for setting up airport
P. Sridhar
BHADRADRI KOTHAGUDEM: With the steering committee on greenfield airports granting site clearance for the proposed greenfield airport project at Kothagudem, the coal town, which is the administrative headquarters of the recently formed Bhadradri Kothagudem district, has emerged as the most prospective region in Telangana to promote regional air connectivity.
Kothagudem’s potential in terms of air traffic and cargo demand owing to its proximity to the vast industrial corridor, dotting a host of public sector and private industrial giants, and the famous pilgrim centre of Bhadrachalam, makes it the ideal choice for setting up of an airport.
The State government had identified 1,600 acres at Punukuduchelaka village, situated about 20 km from Kothagudem, for the project.
The site is located at a distance of about 240 km from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad and 232 km from the Indian Air Force Academy at Dundigal near Hyderabad.
Situated at 136 km in south east direction, Gannavaram airport near Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh is the nearest civilian airport to Kothagudem.
A civil enclave is situated on the Indian Navy airbase at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh about 280 km from Kothagudem.
The defunct civil airport at Mamnoor near Warangal is located about 117 km from Kothagudem, sources added.
There has been a long-standing demand from people in the industrial hub for setting up of an airport in Kothagudem, where the headquarters of the State-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is located.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has made a strong pitch for the greenfield airport project by writing a letter to the Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapati Raju and meeting the latter along with Kothagudem MLA Jalagam Venkat Rao in pursuance of the project in New Delhi in 2015.
The Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSIIC) has entrusted the task of conducting a techno-economic feasibility study of the project to the Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) last year.
Subsequently, a team of experts from the RITES conducted a detailed field-based study at the proposed project site near Kothagudem and submitted its report to the government.
Based on the report, the steering committee gave site clearance for the project in September last year.
After analysing traffic demand in the project-influential zone comprising Warangal and Nalgonda districts in Telangana, Krishna, West Godavari and East Godavari in Andhra Pradesh, Bijapur and Sukma in Chhattisgarh and Malkangiri in Odisha, the report found that there was a good/ready demand for air services in the zone.
However, the 819 acres of land at Punukuduchelaka intended to be used for the project falls under the reserve forest area, sources said. This stipulates mandatory permission of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and other Central agencies concerned.
The move to set up an airport in the forest area nearby the Kinnerasani wildlife sanctuary evoked opposition from the CPI (ML-New Democracy), Telangana Praja Front and various other organisations, including tribal groups.
The T-JAC chairman M. Kodandaram recently participated in a public meeting held at Punukuduchelaka in protest against the airport project in the tribal area surrounded by reserve forest.
Added confusion
S. Harpal Singh
ADILABAD: Is the MoU which the State government signed recently with the Aviation Ministry under Regional Air Connectivity to construct an airport in Adilabad indicative of its intention not to have the proposed full-fledged Air Force Station here? The move has certainly added to the confusion among villagers whose land has been identified to be acquired for the construction of AFS.
It was in February-March, 2014 that the Indian Air Force had requested the then Congress government to identify sufficient open land adjacent to the existing old aerodrome on the outskirts of Adilabad town. The work on identification was done quickly under the then Adilabad Collector, Babu A. and a proposal for starting the acquisition was sent to the government.
The TRS government did seem inclined towards clearing the proposal for land acquisition, but it remains at that. “The file is said to be pending with the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and if delay in clearing the file is any indication, he seems to be keen on constructing an airport and not an AFS,” said an official.
About 1,600 acres of land has been identified for acquisition from Khanapur, Anukunta, Kachkanti and Thantoli villages surrounding Adilabad town. The old airfield has about 360 acres of land.
“At least 1,000 people travel towards Hyderabad every day in buses, private transport and in the Krishna express train. Air transport being the fastest mode will be much sought after by those who would like to return the same day after completing work in Hyderabad,” opined Raj Kumar Deshpande, a local businessman.
Missing clarity on civil aviation airport
P. Ram Mohan
JAKRANPALLY (NIZAMABAD DT.): The fate of the proposed civil aviation airport in Jakranpally mandal still hangs in the balance with no response from the Centre after earmarking the land for the same and conducting a survey twice. There is no decision on the proposal till date, even after the Telangana government entered into an MoU a few days ago with the MCA.
Teams comprising senior officers from Department of Civil Aviation from New Delhi conducted a survey and arrived at a conclusion that the identified land touching the borders of Jakranpally, Argul, Manoharabad, Torlikonda and Kolipaka would be suitable for the construction of the airport and reportedly recommended the same to the government. Things moved fast as soon as the then Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekara Reddy, announced sanction of the airport in the district in 2008. The official teams from Delhi reportedly wanted allocation of about 1,500 acres of land for the purpose. In consonance, the State government officials earmarked over 1,600 acres flat land comprising 826 acres of private patta land and an equal size of government land.
The site identified was just one-and-a-half km from the National Highway-44 and closer to Telangana University. It would just be 25 km away from the district headquarters town if the road via Madanpally was widened and developed. That apart, in the two public hearings held with farmers and local residents, they expressed willingness to give up patta lands for the purpose.
As a follow-up action, B. Ramanjaneyulu, D. Varaprasad, Christina Z. Chongthu, P.S. Pradyumna and D. Ronald Rose, who were the Collectors consecutively till 2015, made visits to the site. However, there was no headway in this regard.
More land asked for Mamnoor airport
Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao
WARANGAL URBAN: As the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has sanctioned Mamnoor airport in Warangal, the State government now has the responsibility of acquiring land for the purpose.
The Mamnoor airstrip was constructed during the II World War for use by the Nizams. Later, it was used by the Britishers to train their soldiers in airfare. It was officially notified as an airport in 1941 and it was fully functional for a long time.
During 1980 to 1984, it became operational with Vayudut services. Since it was wound up, it’s now being used by the NCC to train its cadets in gliding.
It has a total area of 765 acres and when the State government headed by the then Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy decided to start the operations again, the AAI had agreed too. The planning wing officials visited the site twice and asked for more land to extend the runway. At present, it has 1.8 km east-west runway and 1.8 km north-south runway.
The AAI has asked for another 465 acres to extend the runway keeping future needs in view.
Details being worked out
R. Avadhani
SANGAREDDY: The government has been actively considering the establishment of a dry port and a mini airport at Zaheerabad. Though officials are not confirming this, sources said that the government has taken this decision in view of the proposed establishment of National Investment and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) at Zaheerabad.
The State government has already proposed a dry port at Zaheerabad and the Union Government has reportedly accepted the proposal. The details were yet to be worked out.
The government has begun acquiring land for the establishment of NIMZ at Jarasangam and Nyalakal mandals in Zaheerabad revenue division. It was proposed to acquire about 12,000 acres from as many as 18 villages spread in these two mandals. The officials have already handed over about 3,000 acres of land to the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC). The establishment of an airport would solely serve the purpose of NIMZ as only Hyderabad has two airports.
However, questions are being raised about the feasibility of the airport till the complete establishment of the NIMZ as it would be more useful for those operating from that place.
“So far, we have not received any information regarding the proposed establishment of the airport at Zaheerabad. I cannot comment on the reports appeared in media,” said V. Venkateswarlu, Joint Collector, Sangareddy.
