Noida: Yamuna Expressway authority refuses proposal to shift Jewar airport site

Officials said that the site near Eastern Peripheral Expressway is reserved for other urban projects including residential, industrial and sports complexes.

The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority’s (YEIDA) chief executive officer Arun Vir Singh refused the Union civil aviation ministry’s proposal of shifting the ‘Noida International Airport’ project from Jewar to a site along the under-construction Eastern Peripheral Expressway.

Union civil aviation ministry had on June 24 approved the proposed airport site. (Representational Photo/Burhaan Kinu)

“I refused the proposal because of non-availability of land near the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE). As per the proposal, they want the airport site shifted from Jewar and moved closer to the Buddh International Circuit, where the EPE passes by. They want to shift the project closer to EPE because the airport will have ready-made connectivity to Delhi and other NCR areas. However, I refused it because of non-availability of land near the Buddh International Circuit,” Singh said.

Officials said that the site near EPE is reserved for other urban projects including residential, industrial and sports complexes.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is constructing the 135km EPE around Delhi to decongest the roads of the capital and reduce air pollution, on the orders of the Supreme Court.

“The Union civil aviation ministry was of the view that if the airport project comes up along EPE, people from Delhi-NCR will have easy access. It would have saved a lot of money that will be spent on developing roads and other modes of transport to connect the airport to Delhi-NCR,” said Singh.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has directed YEIDA to acquire agricultural land from 39 villages for the airport project in Jewar, located along the 165km Yamuna Expressway.

Union civil aviation ministry had on June 24 approved the proposed airport site. Now, YEIDA has sought Rs2,000 crore from the state government to acquire the initial 1,000 hectares of agricultural land for the project. On the whole, 5,000 hectares are required for the project.

“We will begin land acquisition as soon as we get the funds for this purpose,” Singh said.