The construction of an airport at Dagadarthi is going full steam. This coalition government is set to prepare a new Detailed Project Report after the estimates are up in the revised versions. It said that tenders would be finalized in another two months. Preparation on 1,352 acres inside Damavaram and Kaurugunta limits was completed. Airport Authority of India granted necessary permissions. With this groundwork complete, the process of selecting a contractor and beginning construction is underway. Notably, three DPRs have been prepared for the project thus far.
For more than 15 years, the dream of having an airport in the district has persisted among its residents. Recent efforts by district ministers, with meetings with officers and focussed work on land acquistion, have brought it closer to completion. Notices given to the farmers regarding disputed court matters and pending solutions of the land issues were met with reasons sought. Authorities are making assessments, which are in line with the enhanced land valuations. An additional 481.42 acres is to be further acquired alongside the already successfully acquired 1, 379.81 acres.
In earlier acquisition rounds, compensation rates ranged from Rs. 13 lakhs to Rs. 23 lakhs per acre, depending on land type. Today, farmers holding assignment lands are demanding the highest rate of Rs. 23 lakhs. The government is keenly waiting for this demand.
In 2015, the Infrastructure Corporation of India tendered for Rights to assess the technical and financial viability of the greenfield airport. The report found that using the PCR method to develop an ATR-72 type airport on 1,352 acres would cost Rs. 293.11 crore. The project phase 1 was estimated to require Rs.176 crore.
The Dagadarthi airport project heralds significant development for the district, promising economic development and connectivity. Despite delays, consistent work is going on in moving this decades-old dream a little closer to reality.
