E-Paper
Survey for Kangra airport expansion reaches final stage
The survey work of the Kangra airport, now in its final stage, is paving the way for intensified relief and rehabilitation efforts
Despite opposition from locals, the survey for expansion of Kangra airport at Gaggal has reached its final stage.
The ongoing survey for the expansion of Kangra airport encountered resistance from the locals. Officials said the task of addressing objections from the affected residents is nearing completion.
Vinay Dhiman, deputy director of the tourism department, highlighted that the survey work, now in its final stage, is paving the way for intensified relief and rehabilitation efforts.
The comprehensive report detailing the properties and associated expenses of the affected area will soon be submitted to the state government, they said.
They said that the boundaries for the airport expansion have been finalised, delineating the extent of the project and the required land area. The concluding phase involves resolving disputes concerning properties and facilitating those individuals who have faced difficulties settling disputes due to displacement. The revenue department is working tirelessly to expedite this process, with over 95% of the survey work already accomplished.
Deputy commissioner, Kangra, Dr Nipun Jindal emphasised on the priority given to the expansion of Kangra airport by the state government. He affirmed that the project is progressing swiftly.
The expansion project envisages increasing runway length of Kangra airport from existing 1,372 meters to 3,010 meters.
Presently, due to shorter runway, only 72-seater aircraft can land on the airstrip. Also, airlines here operate flights on lead penalty, which means they run at least 10-15% less than their full capacity of passengers, fuel and cargo, eventually resulting in higher air fares. Once the airstrip is extended to 3,010-metre, bigger aircrafts like Airbus 320 could land here which would not only boost valley’s connectivity to other parts of the country, but also bring down travel cost on this route. Jindal said that the airport extension will be done in two phases. In the first phase, the runway length would be increased to 1,900 meters and to 3,010 meters in the second phase. A total of 147 hectares of land will be acquired in Kangra and Shahpur subdivisions for the airport extension, of which 122 hectares of land is private and 25 hectares is government land.
