At least 6,000 trees will be axed while over 1000 tree would be transplanted for the expansion and development of the Bokaro airport.
All total 7000 trees inside the present airport premises have been identified and got numbering by the Horticulture Department, needs to be cut down for the expansion of the airport, informed PR Naidu, DFO Bokaro.
Meanwhile, about 1000 trees which girth (radius) is less than 7 inches would be transplanted at some other place and it does not need any kind of permission (for the transplantation), he said.
“Without cutting the trees civil work for the airport could not be started. We have sent a proposal to the high power committee for cut down the 6,000 trees and waiting for their approvals,” added DFO.
The cutting of the trees has been done in two-phase, in the first phase, 4000 trees would be axed, informed an official. But the district administration and other related departments will have to plant five trees for every tree would be felled, an official said.
Under the Government of India’s flagship scheme UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) Bokaro is to be connected RCS (Regional Connectivity Scheme). Jharkhand’s Chief Minister Raghubar Das recently laid the foundation stone for the development of Bokaro airport at Bokaro Steel City.
Bokaro Airport covering a land area of 195 acres, belongs to SAIL, Bokaro Steel Plant, an MoU has been signed between Airports Authority of India (AAI) and SAIL to develop for Code – 3C under RCS-UDAN – II with an estimated cost of Rs 52.57 crores. The State government will pay 20 per cent of the total expenditures. The development work includes resurfacing and strengthening of existing runways of length 1673 meters and width 30 meters, apron, taxi track including grading of the operational area along with the provision of expendable low-cost Terminal building, Control Tower, ESS building, Watch Tower and installation of PAPI and other miscellaneous civil and electrical works.
With a long runway of 1,673 metres, the airport will be able for the operation of ATR-72 types of aircraft.
