Airports Authority Team To Visit Karnataka In April For Feasibility Study Of Bengaluru’s Second Airport

In Bengaluru, two sites on Kanakapura Road and one on the Nelamangala-Kunigal Road have been shortlisted for the proposed airport.

Keeping this in mind, Karnataka Infrastructure Development Minister M B Patil said, work on the second airport is being expedited, and if everything goes as planned, it could be operational by 2033.

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Karnataka Infrastructure Development Minister M B Patil on Saturday announced that a multidisciplinary team from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) will visit the state in April to conduct a feasibility study for the second international greenfield airport in Bengaluru. Three locations have been identified for the project. The team is scheduled to visit the state between April 7 and 9, he said.

Patil stated that the Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC) has already paid a fee of Rs 1.21 crore to the AAI for the study.

Two sites on Kanakapura Road and one on the Nelamangala-Kunigal Road have been shortlisted for the proposed airport.

"We wrote to the Airports Authority on the 5th of this month, requesting an inspection of the final shortlisted sites for the proposed airport. As per their instructions, the team will visit," he said.

Patil added that all necessary documents have already been prepared.

"We have already prepared documents, including revenue maps of the identified sites, 10 years’ worth of weather reports, detailed images of the sites’ geographic features, maps from the Survey of India, and operational details of the proposed airport," the minister stated in a release from his office.

According to him, the existing airport in Bengaluru is under immense pressure. Additionally, the restriction preventing the establishment of another airport within a 150 km radius will expire by 2033.

Keeping this in mind, work on the second airport is being expedited, and if everything goes as planned, it could be operational by 2033, he said.

"Some are insisting on constructing the proposed airport near Shira in Tumkur, but this is not feasible. If built there, it would function more like a district-level airport, similar to those in Shivamogga and Vijayapura," he responded to a query.

"To truly serve the people of Bengaluru, the airport must be located closer to the city. Only then will investors be interested in funding the project. Without this, the airport will not be viable," he further said.

Meanwhile, the minister noted that in Koppal, the Baldota Group plans to invest Rs 54,000 crore in establishing a large-scale steel manufacturing plant, which is expected to have environmental consequences. The head of Gavimath, Swamiji, is leading protests against the project.

"An independent study by an institution like IISc is being conducted to assess the pollution concerns, and further action will be taken based on the findings. As a minister, I recognise both the need for industrial growth and the public’s concerns. There is no political agenda in this matter," Patil assured. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)