Dream of mini airport gets life in Chikkamagaluru

With the process of additional land acquisition getting kick-started, the hopes are rife on the construction of the mini airport (air strip) in Chikkamagaluru city, even though it might take several years from now.

The district administration has been preparing an estimate towards the cost of land acquisition.

The government had announced the project of air strip in Chikkamagaluru in the annual budget of 2023-24. A runway of a minimum of 1,200 meter length and 150 meter width is required for the landing of an airplane with 20 seat capacity. A total of 140 acres of land will be required for the airstrip.

A 105-acre land in the name of the department of industries and another government land of 15 acres nearby, are currently earmarked for the project. A total of 120.2-acre land is available and the rest of the 19.21 acres of private land has to be acquired.

The process of the mini airport will be started by Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC) if the district administration provides the required land.

The Managing Director of the Corporation has written to the Deputy Commissioner to submit an estimate of the cost needed to acquire the rest of the private land.

Earlier, an estimate of Rs 39 crore was prepared and submitted to the government to directly purchase the land. Now, the district administration has dropped the proposal for the direct purchase and has decided to acquire the land through land acquisition. An estimation is being prepared through the Assistant Commissioner.

The horticultural, agricultural and forest departments have been directed to evaluate the cost of the trees in the earmarked land. Once this process completes, an estimate will be ready towards the cost of the land to be acquired. The land acquisition process will begin if the necessary grants are released.

Still, a lot of time is required to prepare the estimation list, release of grants and land acquisition. Later, a Feasibility Report and a Detailed Project Report will be prepared by KSIIDC. After these processes are carried out, the construction of the mini airport might take several years. If the airplanes land in Chikkamagaluru, the tourism will get a boost, the local people say.

Heliport proposed

A proposal to construct a heliport is also before the government and the preparation of Feasibility Report and Detailed Project Report (DPR) is in progress.

The KSIIDC has appointed the organisation Ms. Pawan Hans Private Ltd to prepare the DPR. The KSIIDC has decided to construct the heliport in the same place reserved for the mini airport.

Three helipads will be constructed in the heliport, for the landing of the helicopters. According to the officials, the air ambulance facility will be provided at the heliport.

20 seater airplanes

The KSIIDC has proposed to construct the runway for the landing of a 20 seater airplane, instead of 72 seater.

"400 acres of land will be required for the construction of a 72 seater airplane. It is impossible to construct the longer runway in the current land near the industrial estate", an official said.