Puri International Airport likely to be commissioned in 2022-23: Odisha govt

BHUBANESWAR: Though the land for the proposed international airport in Puri has not been finalised yet, the state government on Sunday said the ambitious project is likely to be commissioned in the next two years.
“If everything goes as planned, the flight operations to and from Puri may commence in 2022 or 2023. The land will be finalised soon as the process of identification has already begun. The government will leave no stone unturned to fast-track the project,” state commerce and transport minister Padmanabh Behera told media persons.
On June 17, officials from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) conducted a pre-feasibility study in Puri. They inspected a 1,000-acre land, about 5km from the Jagannath Temple, for the construction of the proposed airport.
The proposed land, owned and acquired by the state government, near the Girala and Mangala rivers under the Sipasarubali mouza, does not have any encroachment nor is it entangled in legal disputes. The Puri district administration said the proposed site will not violate the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms as the land is located more than 500 metres from the beach.
“We are waiting for the AAI’s report of their recent feasibility survey. They are examining our data on the size of the land (proposed site), its topography, access to the land, wind direction, rainfall, airstrip orientation, economic viability, environmental and CRZ constraints, if any,” a senior official of the commerce and transport department said.
On January 1, chief minister Naveen Patnaik had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged him to ask the ministry of civil aviation to set up an international airport in Puri.
In his proposal to Modi, the chief minister had said Puri has the potential to become the hub of spiritual and international tourism and economic activities.
“Puri is one of the four holy dhams in the country. Its famous Rath Yatra attracts lakhs of pilgrims and visitors from across the globe every year. Rath Yatra is celebrated in 192 countries. The proposed international airport will help bring devotees from across the world to Puri and promote the Jagannath culture globally,” Naveen’s letter to the PM had said.
Inspired By