Traders, industrialists protest delay in Dhalbhumgarh airport construction in Jharkhand

Jamshedpur, Mar 7 (PTI) The Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Saturday staged a dharna at Postal Park here in protest against the stalled construction of an airport at Dhalbhumgarh in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district.

Traders, industrialists, social organisations and locals joined the demonstration, demanding that the long-pending airport project, located around 55–60 km from Jamshedpur, be expedited.

SCCI president Manav Kedia said the foundation stone of the project was laid on January 24, 2019, to provide air connectivity to Jamshedpur and the Kolhan industrial hub comprising East and West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharswan districts.

Despite the lapse of several years since the foundation-laying ceremony was held, Kedia regretted that no meaningful construction had commenced at the site.

He attributed administrative and regulatory hurdles, including issues related to forest and environment clearances, as reasons for the delay.

Referring to a meeting with the deputy commissioner of East Singhbhum recently, Kedia said he had clarified that there was no clearance pending from the state government for the project.

The delay has deprived Jamshedpur, one of the most important industrial hubs of Eastern India, of essential connectivity required for business travel, investment, tourism and regional development, he observed.

The proposed greenfield airport at Dhalbhumgarh was planned over 99.265 hectares, compared to the existing 66-hectare airstrip, he claimed, adding that the airport was proposed to have a runway of 2.1 km, which would have been longer than the Ranchi airport runway and capable of handling larger aircraft.

Kedia claimed that nearly 37 per cent of the passenger load at Ranchi airport originates from Jamshedpur, clearly demonstrating the demand for direct air connectivity in the region. PTI BS MNB