Government eager to flag off operation at Vijayapura airport before polls

VIJAYAPURA: There has been much excitement surrounding the construction of an airport in Vijayapura, the completion of which, stakeholders hope, will divert industrial investment towards the Bombay Karnataka region. With the elections due in fewer than six months, the state government is eager to ensure the completion of the project by March so the airport can be inaugurated before the Election Commission imposes the Model Code of Conduct in Karnataka.
Teeming with historical monuments, Vijayapura has for long been a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors not only from across India but from a range of countries abroad.
In recent years, the district has earned the reputation of being an education hub and a centre for horticulture and healthcare.
The lack of an airport has stymied the growth of these sectors, and stakeholders believe that filling this gap in Vijayapura’s infrastructure can help drive investment in industry, which would, in turn, generate employment for the locals. If all goes according to plan, the airport will be ready for operations by March next.
The greenfield airport is being developed on a 727-acre plot, land for which has been acquired from Buranapura and Madabhavi villages, by the Airports’ Authority of India at an estimated cost of Rs 347.9 crore.
The airport at Vijayapura will house a terminal, an aircraft apron, and a singular 1.9-kilometre-long runway, along with sufficient space for parking. Initially designed for the operation of the small ATR aircraft for which Rs 95 crore was allocated, the state government revised its plan to expand the airport to accommodate the Airbus A320, and disbursed an additional Rs 128 crore.
The public works department (PWD) has been entrusted the responsibility of developing the civic infrastructure at the airport, with the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation bearing the expenditure. The Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation was appointed the nodal agency for supervision of work at the airport. Vijayapura deputy commissioner Vijayamahantesh Danammanavar told TOI that the airport was designed by M/S RITES, a Gurgaon-based firm.
Work on the airport was undertaken in two phases, with Vijayapura-based M/S Alur Construction Company completing the first. The government had earmarked a sum of Rs 223 crore for the first phase of the project, while Rs 125 crore was allocated for the latter part. The first phase of the construction of the airport involved building the runway, taxiway, apron, the isolation bay, link road, and those on the periphery. While work on the internal road, parking facilities, and the apron has been completed, work is still under way on the runway, taxiway, and other facilities.
Water Resources minister Govind Karjol, who inspected the airport site recently, expressed satisfaction with the pace at which work was progressing. He directed officials to ensure the airport was ready for inauguration by February 15, 2023. The minister told TOI that he would call on Union minister for environment and forests, Bhupendra Yadav soon to obtain clearance for commencement of operations at the airport.