Removal of the trees inside the Bokaro airport premises remains a major hurdle in the earliest expansion of the airport.
Ashok Vishwas, Chief Manager of the technical team of Airport Authority of India (AAI), who visited Bokaro airport on Saturday pointed out that the construction work of terminal building and main building are hindered and can only be started after trees in the areas are axed.
The AAI team headed by Vishwas arrived at Bokaro to inspect the ongoing expansion work of airport, which includes strengthening of the airstrip, construction of boundary wall, cooling pit, fencing among others.
The foundation for the expansion of the airport was laid down on August 25, 2018 and AAI had allotted the work to three agencies, including Jai Mata Di Construction, East India Construction Company and Creative Construction.
Officials informed that at least 6000 trees have to be axed down for expansion and development of the airport and failure in removing those trees is the prime cause behind the delay in completion of airport expansion.
“Without removal of the trees, civil work is not possible,” said Samarjeet Singh, Technical Manager AAI.
“We have got the information that the issue (removal of trees) has been trapped in dispute between district administration, forest department and Bokaro Steel Plant management. They are yet to decide that who will chop down the trees, who will pay for it and who will sell the wood. At present, it is very difficult to say when the work would be completed,” he added.
Singh said that previous year the deputy commissioner of Bokaro had assured the AAI team that the trees would be removed at the earliest. “Assuming that the work of chopping down trees would be completed in five months, we had floated tenders and awarded work to the companies. But till date not a single tree has been cut down,” he said.
AAI chairman Gurudas Mahapatra had written a letter to the Chief Secretary of Jharkhand seeking removal of trees, earlier.
However, strengthening of the existing runway, construction of cooling pit, fencing, bore well is being done at a good pace while the reconstruction work of boundary walls is completed to about 30 per cent.
“If the trees are removed, the Bokaro airport will become functional within the next five months,” Singh said. Bokaro Airport, covering a land area of 195 acres belongs to SAIL, Bokaro Steel Plant and a MoU has been signed between Airports Authority of India (AAI) and SAIL to develop the airport under UDAN scheme of the centre, at an estimated cost of Rs 52.57 crores.