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Modi unveils new terminal building of Port Blair airport
Built at an estimated cost of ₹707.73 crore, the terminal building is shaped like a shell and depicts the natural environs of the islands
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday virtually inaugurated the new integrated terminal building of the Veer Savarkar International Airport at Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, officials said.
Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who was also present on the occasion, unveiled a statue of Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar on the airport premises and took a tour of the establishment. He was accompanied by Union minister of state for road, transport and highways and civil aviation General (Retd) V K Singh.
Built at an estimated cost of ₹707.73 crore, the terminal building is shaped like a shell and depicts the natural environs of the islands. The entire terminal will have 100% natural lighting for 12 hours a day aided by skylights on the roof. With a total built-up area of 40,837 sq metres, the new terminal building will have the capacity to handle 1,200 passengers during peak hours and around 5 million passengers annually, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Inaugurating the terminal virtually, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it will “enhance ease of travel and ease of doing business as well as strengthen connectivity”.
“Till now the existing terminal had the capacity to handle 4,000 tourists, and the new terminal has taken this number to 11,000 and 10 planes can be parked at any given time on the airport now,” he said, adding that more flights and tourists will bring more jobs to the area.
Highlighting that the Adivasi and island regions of the country were devoid of development for a long time, the PM said: “In the last nine years, the present government has not only rectified the mistakes of the governments of the past with utmost sensitivity but also come up with a new system... For a long time in India, development was only restricted to the big cities due to the selfish politics by some parties, which led to tribal and island regions being deprived of development.”
“A new model of development of inclusion has come up in India. The model of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas... Andaman is becoming a living and breathing example of the maha-mantra of development and heritage going hand in hand... Development of Andaman and Nicobar Islands has become a source of inspiration for the youth of the country,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Union minister Scindia unveiled a statue of Savarkar at the airport and hailed the inauguration as a “golden day in the history of Indian Civil Aviation!”
“A new era of development has begun in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with the dedication of the new integrated terminal building of the Veer Savarkar International Airport by the Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji today. Hearty congratulations to the regional people,” he tweeted.
According to the PMO, the three-storey building will be equipped with 28 check-in counters, three passenger boarding bridges and four conveyor belts to help boost air traffic and help enhance tourism in the region.
“It has a number of sustainability features like Double Insulated Roofing System to reduce heat gain, skylights to provide maximum inlet of abundant natural sunlight during day time to reduce artificial light usage inside the building, LED lighting, and low heat gain glazing. Rainwater catchment in an underground water tank, an on-site sewage treatment plant with 100% of treated wastewater reused for landscaping and a 500 KW solar power plant are some other features of the terminal building to ensure a minimal negative impact on the islands’ environment,” the statement said.
