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Bengaluru’s 2nd airport likely in south of city: CM
BENGALURU The Karnataka government has moved a step closer to selecting a site for Bengaluru’s second international airport, with chief minister DK Shivakumar indicating that the project is likely to be located in the southern part of the city after officials reviewed competing proposals on Wednesday
BENGALURU The Karnataka government has moved a step closer to selecting a site for Bengaluru’s second international airport, with chief minister DK Shivakumar indicating that the project is likely to be located in the southern part of the city after officials reviewed competing proposals on Wednesday.
At a meeting in Vidhana Soudha, chaired by the chief minister, senior officials examined two potential locations that have been identified for the project: the Chudahalli Somanahalli belt along Kanakapura Road in south Bengaluru and an area between Kunigal and Nelamangala on Tumakuru Road. Around 4,500 to 5,200 acres have been identified at each location, and officials assessed their technical feasibility along with the advantages and constraints associated with both sites.
Speaking after the meeting, Shivakumar said the government would recommend a location that meets technical requirements while keeping land acquisition costs under control. “A meeting has been held with officials regarding the second airport. We will submit a proposal where there is technical feasibility. The land price should also be low. It doesn’t matter if there is only one house; they should also be given compensation,” he said.
The chief minister said the government had ruled out areas containing large settlements and indicated that the proposed airport would be located in south Bengaluru, although the exact site has not yet been selected.
“We have said no to areas with many towns. The airport will be built in the south. The location has not been finalised. But it is suggested to identify an empty area, excluding densely populated areas,” Shivakumar said.
The state government is pursuing the project to accommodate growing passenger traffic and future aviation demand in Bengaluru over the coming decades. According to the government’s plan, its recommendation will be forwarded to the Airports Authority of India for a technical assessment before the proposal is considered by the Union ministry of civil aviation.
Officials believe an additional international airport would reduce pressure on Bengaluru’s existing airport while supporting industrial activity, logistics, investment and employment in surrounding areas.
The government also expects the project to encourage the expansion of transport infrastructure, including roads, metro connectivity and rail links, while creating conditions for new industrial clusters, warehousing facilities, commercial centres and an aerocity around the airport.
At the same time, officials acknowledged that acquiring between 4,500 and 5,200 acres of land would be one of the project’s biggest challenges. The government also identified the possibility of resistance from farmers affected by land acquisition, rising compensation costs and higher overall project expenditure running into thousands of crores of rupees.
Other hurdles discussed during the meeting included obtaining environmental, forest and ecological clearances, as well as addressing the impact of the project on villages and the livelihoods of people living in the surrounding areas.
With two potential sites now under consideration and the state government signalling its preference for a southern location, the proposal enters its next phase, where technical evaluation by the Airports Authority of India will help determine the final site before any further approvals are sought from the Union government.
