Karbi Anglong's greenfield airport project gains momentum

Diphu. Feb 15: The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation is set to develop a Greenfield airport in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam. The said airport is to be located approximately 61 kilometres from the Dimapur Airport.

The announcement was made by the Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, on Mon day while addressing a question posed in Parliament by

Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha. Mohol also informed that the Central government had granted in-principle approval for 21 new Greenfield airports throughout the country, with 12 of these airports being already operational.

A Greenfield airport is constructed entirely on undeveloped land, thereby enabling expansion of aviation net-works without significant constraints. Work for the pro-posed airport in Diphu has progressed considerably, with consultants SRV Techno Engineering Pvt Ltd and DSD-NA (New Delhi) submitting the final detailed project report (DPR) to Tuliram Ronghang, the chief executive member of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council.

The government of Assam has acquired the requisite land for the project with the assistance of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been assigned the tasks of conducting soil investigation and topographical surveys with 90 per cent of the allocated fund for these activities being already disbursed.

The AAI is also set to undertake detailed surveys and construction planning upon receiving final approvals from both the Central and State authorities.

The airport, to be situated at Chotalangfer (Borlangphar) in Jamunapar Mouza under the Diphu revenue circle, is expected to provide direct air connectivity to major metropolitan cities such as Kolkata, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Mumbai.

In addition to improving travel convenience, the project is expected to generate employment opportunities and speed up commercial development in the region.

The initiative of constructing a Greenfield airport is a part of the memorandum of settlement (MoS) signed on September 4, 2021, under the Central government's Special Development Project (SDP), which emphasises infrastructure development in Karbi Anglong.

The upcoming Greenfield airport embodies significant advancement in India's aviation aspirations and regional equity, addressing connectivity challenges while driving socio-economic transformation in the Northeast. Stakeholders are optimistic that the project will promote tourism, trade, and investment opportunities in the underserved regions.