Airport link: Connection problems

Trapped deep in a traffic jam on Ballari Road, the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) would look too distant to catch your flight in time. You wish for alternative roads, rail routes and Metro links. But as you look ahead in despair, you see only the hazy sketch of a Metro map, a dusty road and a rail link utterly wasted.

After much delay, the contours of a Namma Metro link to the airport are gradually taking shape. But the station locations, funding pattern and construction deadlines are still in the works. It could take years before the first train starts chugging in.

Incomplete stretches

That leaves the much-hyped alternative road planned through Hennur Road, Bagalur, Mylanahalli and Begur. A reality check reveals vast stretches of this road nowhere near completion. Land acquisition issues have virtually grounded work on the last three kilometers, earmarked for development by the State Public Works Department.

There is no sense of urgency as the only visible proof of any activity is a lone bull-dozer idling close to the airport wall near Begur. This is in stark contrast to the stretch within the KIA premises, where construction of the 1,200-metre, six-lane South West Road linking the PWD road to the Mantri Junction has gathered pace.

Delayed compensation

The issue is with delayed payment of compensation to land-losers. Only about 40 farmers have received part payment. The others are adamant that work will not be allowed unless the full amount is disbursed to all. Result: PWD has not taken possession of the land identified by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).

At Chikkanahalli, a village close to the airport wall, residents are anxiously awaiting the demolition men to descend. But the wait has been long. Says Muniswamappa, whose house of 45 years is marked for clearance: “They fixed Rs 1,500 for sqft, much less than the market rate here. I have got only part of the money,” he complains.

An old temple and a primary school in Chikkanahalli will be swallowed by the road. Naveen Kumar, a resident and a contract labourer at KIA, is worried that the new road will do no good to him and the villagers if it is access-controlled. This sentiment is echoed by many others, who feel they are not compensated enough.

KIADB responds

But KIADB does not agree. The Board’s Special Land Acquisition Officer, P V Poornima informs that Rs 16 crore, released by the government have already been disbursed to the land-losers. “KIADB had fixed Rs 3.25 crore per acre as compensation. Whoever agreed to this rate and came to us with all the required documents has been compensated. In the case of those who rejected the offer, we have deposited the money in the court as general award,” she explains.

However, an additional Rs 45 crore is yet to be released by the government through PWD. “Our acquisition process has been completed. Once the money comes in, we will start the compensation process for the remaining land-losers,” assures the official. But the villagers are not ready to relent unless they see real money.

Unfinished flyover

The alternative road’s problems begin right at the Hennur Flyover, a project halted by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) over eight years back. Land acquisition and compensation were again issues here. But even after these were eventually sorted out, the flyover remains unfinished. Reason: Delay in shifting of underground pipelines by the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).

The junction underneath the flyover is now almost always congested by chaotic traffic. Although traffic flows uninterrupted on the Outer Ring Road below, the airport commuters’ dream of quick access from the city centre now remains unfulfilled.

Heli-taxi option

Perhaps it was this realisation that forced the Civil Aviation Ministry to explore air connectivity from the airport to different destinations within the city. On August 4, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha had launched a helicopter taxi service from KIA to Electronics City to fly the distance in just 15 minutes.

Operated by Thumby Aviation Private Ltd., the HeliTaxi service was scheduled to initially fly two helicopters, a Bell 412 with 13 passengers and two pilots; and a Bell 407 with five passengers and two pilots. The fleet was to be expanded based on demand.

But the heli-taxi service too has its issues. The flight time and consequent fares could go up if the heli-taxis take an Eastward diversion to avoid flight tests at the HAL Airport. The operators are in talks with HAL to find a way out. Airport connectivity by road, rail, Metro or air will just not happen in a hurry.