AAI, IAF, Telangana Govt To Meet On Dec. 14 To Finalise Adilabad Airport DPR

ADILABAD: A joint meeting of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Telangana government has been convened in Delhi on December 14 to discuss the development of the Adilabad airport. Preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be the main agenda of the meeting.

It is learnt that AAI is proposing two runways at the airport, one to be shared by the Civil Aviation and defence departments, and another dedicated for Air Force training operations.

Adilabad MP Godam Nagesh and MLA Payal Shankar said they have been pursuing the airport project ever since the state government issued orders to the district collector to acquire 700 acres for its development.

The move has created anxiety among residents of several villages near the old aerodrome, as there has been no official communication following the issuance of GO No. 73 for land acquisition. Allegations have also surfaced that some real estate groups are trying to exploit the confusion by pressuring farmers to sell land around the aerodrome.

There is still no clarity on which specific lands will be acquired or the compensation farmers will receive.

MP Godam Nagesh and MLA Payal Shankar told Deccan Chronicle that the December 14 joint meeting will finalise the DPR and other modalities for the airport project. Telangana aviation director Bharath, along with the MP and MLA, will attend the meeting. They said land acquisition will begin only after the DPR provides clear guidance.

Nagesh explained that three airport categories were proposed, differing in land requirement based on aircraft size and seating capacity. The first proposal requires 122 acres, the second 297 acres, and the third 353 acres in addition to the existing land. He said the Telangana government prefers the third option, which would allow landing of large aircraft such as the Boeing 777. While 369 acres of the old aerodrome land is already available, an additional 353 acres is required.

About 369 acres are currently with the Air Force, including an airstrip dating back to the Nizam era at Shantinagar on the outskirts of Adilabad.

MLA Payal Shankar said the villages of Ankoli and Tantholi are on one side of the aerodrome, with Anukunta and Kachkanti on another, and Landasangi and Nishanghat on the third. The Adilabad town boundary forms the fourth side, leaving no scope for acquiring land from the city side.

Meanwhile, district in-charge minister Jupally Krishna Rao said a review meeting on the airport project will be held soon.

Farmers like Venkatesh of Tantholi village said many locals are anxious, as they have no information about which lands will be acquired or what compensation will be offered for the Adilabad airport development.