HC notice to AAI on Akola airport expansion

Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Wednesday served a show cause notice to the Authority of India (AAI) after adding it as respondent in the PIL opposing expansion of Shivni Airport in Akola.
A division bench comprising Justices Vasanti Naik and Pukhraj Bora asked the authority to reply by October first week. The move came after petitioner, Vidarbha Association for Research Technology and Development in Agricultural and Rural Sector (VART-DARS), through its counsel Firdos Mirza, demanded to add AAI as respondent.
Earlier, the Maharashtra government produced AAI’s letter of 2008 where the latter had stressed on the need to expand its runway and develop the airport. It prompted the petitioner to demand AAI’s inclusion in the list of respondents to know their views on this letter.
The petitioner had knocked judiciary’s doors after a Government Resolution (GR) of March 4 sought transfer of 60.68 hectares of Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV) land for development of the airport. The Akola collector also supported the demand stating that airport is unique because of popular pilgrimage place of Shegon is located just 50 km away while it also serves as gateway to the Melghat Tiger Reserve. Its expansion would not only give boost to tourism, but will also bring industrial development as demanded by the Vidarbha Chambers of Commerce.
Interestingly, during last hearing, the petitioner furnished a letter written by AAI executive director (planning) Kalpana Sethi to additional secretary at General Administration Department (GAD) PS Meena on May 15, mentioning that due to non-availability of land for development works, the mandatory requirement for 300m basic strip for Shivni airport can’t be fulfilled. AAI had already declared this airport as “non-operational” on its website.
The airport is currently having a runway of 1520x45m with basic strip of 150m width. In 2008, AAI requested the state for 174.67 acre for extension of runway to 1800m, provision of basic strip of 300m width and other facilities free of cost and encumbrances. The government replied in 2011 that it was not feasible to provide extra land due to highway on one side and PDKV on other.
The petitioner informed that the government had purchased 300 hectare at Belora near Amravati for building a new airport, which is about 75 km from Akola. The necessary funds are made available and even an amount of Rs34 crore was approved for erecting infrastructure. Therefore, having two airports in such close vicinity of 150 km is of no use, nor practicable neither viable, that too by demolishing PDKV’s laboratories and other buildings.