The Prime Minister's Office has sanctioned the construction of Pune's first-ever international airport, along with similar facilities at Navi Mumbai and Nagpur.
Dr Manmohan Singh met Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan yesterday and made the announcement. The plot adjoining the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) developed by Bharat Forge in the south of Khed has been identified for developing the airport in the city.
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“Earlier some other plots were also identified for the construction of the international airport. However, as there were a lot of technical obstructions, the Airports Authority of India suggested the Khed plot where experts from the central team of civil aviation department have already done a feasibility survey,” said divisional commissioner Prabhakar Deshmukh.
Deshmukh added that around 1,260 hectares would be needed for the airport. “The administration would now start the land acquisition process. The other related NOCs would also be taken to fulfil the remaining formalities,” he said. u00a0
1,260 hectares
Amount of land needed for the airport
Losing the plot
In 2001, a plot in Chakan was identified for creation of the airport. But constant opposition by villagers, whose lands would have been acquired for the project, resulted in several delays in finalising the project. As per a report submitted on the ground survey conducted by IAF in 2005, Chakan was deemed unsuitable for the construction.
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