Expansion of Bhuntar airport yet to take off

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Kullu, January 15

The expansion of the Bhuntar airport in Kullu district has been hanging fire since 2013. To speed up work, the state government has asked IIT-Roorkee to conduct a comprehensive river engineering study for the diversion of the Beas so that the expansion can take place.

Hoteliers too want the project to take off at the earliest. They say in the absence of air connectivity, their business is suffering.

The Bhuntar airport belongs to the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Its dimension is 1128x30m (usable 1,052 m) suitable for the operation of ATR-42 aircraft with load penalty in fair weather conditions.

Sources said the final report was submitted to the state government by IIT-Roorkee in September 2013. The runway can be extended by 550m subject to diversion of the Beas.

RTI activist Gaurav Bhardwaj said RTI information revealed that the tentative cost of the river diversion works out to be Rs 81.34 crore and it will take three to four years to stabilise. The same is to be executed by the state government and the prepared site is to be handed over to the AAI.

He said before this, 27.77-hectare land needed to be acquired by the state government and thereafter the AAI would undertake the runway expansion work.

Those associated with tourism industry in Kullu-Manali have been demanding the airport expansion for long.

Kullu-Manali Hoteliers’ Association president Gajender Thakur said the state government should pace up the work.

“We lack better road facility and have poor railway and air connectivity. The tourism industry is the biggest sector after horticulture and agriculture in the district, which is the source of livelihood for hundreds of families,” he said.

“We urge Union Minister JP Nadda to take up the issue with the Centre and provide financial assistance to the state government,” he added.

Kullu Deputy Commissioner Yunus Khan said IIT-Roorkee team had recently visited the Bhuntar airport. It would submit its report to the Aviation Ministry, he said.