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PM Modi inaugurates Kameng hydro project, 1st greenfield airport in Arunachal
The airport has 2,300 m and is suitable for all-weather operations. The airport terminal is a modern building promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy and the recycling of resources
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated Arunachal Pradesh’s first greenfield airport at Hollongi near Itanagar and dedicated the 600 MW Kameng hydropower station to the nation.
Located near the capital, the airport will improve connectivity. It is also expected to boost tourism in the state, improve transportation of indigenously produced goods and agri-products to all parts of the country and help patients travel to other places for improved treatment.
“When I laid the foundation stone of this airport in February 2019 ahead of the general elections, political commentators stated it was a poll stunt and wouldn’t materialize. But the inauguration of this project today within three years is a befitting reply to such commentators,” Modi said in his address.
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“With the airport becoming operational, farmers of Arunachal Pradesh would now be able to send their products to other parts of the country. It would help them earn much more for their products,” he added.
Named after Donyi-Polo, names given to the sun and moon in the indigenous religion of the state and spread over 690 acres, built at a cost of ₹640 crore, it is the fourth operational airport in the northeastern state and the 16th in the northeast.
The airport has 2,300 m and is suitable for all-weather operations. The airport terminal is a modern building promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy and the recycling of resources.
“For many decades northeast was ignored by the powers in Delhi, but we changed that after Atal Bihari Vajpayee come to power. But the successive governments didn’t continue the process,” Modi further said in his address after the inauguration.
“It was after we came to power again in 2014 that the region was again given importance. Now the region is in focus right from culture to agriculture, commerce to connectivity, trade to tourism and telecom to textile,” he added.
After the inauguration of the airport, PM Modi dedicated the 600 MW Kameng Hydro Power station to the nation.
Built at a cost of ₹8,450 crore, the Kameng power project is the largest such project commissioned in the region with the potential to generate 3353 million units of energy annually. It will provide nearly 398 million units (equivalent to ₹200 crore) of free power to Arunachal.
It is also estimated to generate ₹8,000 crore revenue for the northeastern state.
The PM, further in his address said that as part of the vibrant border village programme, work is on to stop the migration of residents to other places and promote tourism in the state.
“Efforts are on to strengthen border villages in the state by giving them the status of vibrant border villages. When avenues of new possibilities open up in every border village, it will be the start of prosperity,” said Modi.
Efforts are also on to connect youths from border areas with National Cadet Corps (NCC). These youths can get further trained and become officers in the defence forces, said Modi.
