Noida: Yamuna authority to select agency to conduct survey of airport site

The techno-feasibility survey comprises land survey, impact on ecology and technical issues related to the project.

The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority, the nodal agency for the Noida International airport project at Jewar along 165 km Yamuna Expressway, has started the process of selecting a consultant to prepare a techno-feasibility report.

The Union civil aviation ministry on June 24 had given its approval to build an international airport at Jewar. (Representational Photo)

“I have sent a draft of the expression of interest (EOI) document to the Uttar Pradesh civil aviation department’s director, Davendra Swarup, for approval. He is likely to approve the EOI draft in next one or two days. Subsequently, we will float the EOI and invite private agencies to apply for the project,” said Arun Vir Singh, chief executive officer of YEIDA.

The Union civil aviation ministry on June 24 had given its approval to build an international airport at Jewar. Now, the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has sought Rs2,000 crore from the state government to acquire 1,000 hectares of agricultural land for the first phase of the project. On the whole, the project requires 5,000 hectares. The Union civil aviation ministry appointed YEIDA as the nodal agency to execute the project work on-site.

“The first big task is to hire a private agency that will prepare a techno-feasibility report. After the report is approved, the airport project will move forward. We will give one month time to interested agencies to submit their applications. We hope that once all agencies submit their proposals, we will finalise the agency in 15 days, assessing their willingness to work on our terms and also assessing the costs,” said Singh.

Officials said that the whole process is expected to take around one and a half months, after which work is expected to be started on the ground.

The techno-feasibility survey comprises land survey, impact on ecology and technical issues related to the project. EOI is a process under which agencies submit their proposals for executing work on a project.

The consultant will also study the old techno-feasibility report that was prepared in 2008 for a proposed airport.

“We will give the old report to the consultant. He can modify the same if needed or prepare a new report. That depends on the agency,” said Singh.