Hearing on a public interest litigation filed against acquisition of 1,072 acres land of GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology for construction of an airport in Pantnagar, the Uttarakhand High Court has directed the State and Central Governments, the university and Civil Aviation Ministry to submit their reply within two weeks.

The division Bench of acting Chief Justice Ravikumar Malimath and Justice Alok Kumar Verma has set January 13 as the next date of hearing for the case.

In his PIL, social worker residing in Udham Singh Nagar, Keshav Pasi has stated that a new airport is proposed to be constructed on the southern side of the GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology for which about 1,072 acres land of the university is being acquired.

The petitioner has further stated that since the creation of Uttarakhand till the present, about 4,300 acres land of the university has been acquired for non-agricultural works.

This is posing a threat to the very existence of the university credited with a crucial role in the green revolution. Presently, there is already an airport on the northern side and with SIIDCUL industrial estate on side of the university another airport is proposed on the southern side.

This will generate noise and pollution all around the university which will affect the academic atmosphere and research work here.

The petitioner has further stated that the university provides 25 per cent of the nation’s total seed requirement.

Further, in a survey, the revenue council had acknowledged that there is about 76,842 acres of barren land in Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar. Instead of diverting fertile land for construction of an airport, the barren land should be used for this purpose. Apart from this, the place where the new airport is proposed to be constructed has 11 canals around it and the land is also swampy and not suitable for an airport, the petitioner has stated.