Telangana Government Focuses on New Airports

Hyderabad: The Telangana government is focusing on new airports in the state. Although Kothagudem in Khammam district tops the list of the state government priorities in this regard other districts such as Adilabad, Warangal and Nizamabad are also under active consideration.

Khammam: The state government commissioned RITES Consultancy of Gurgaon for the pre-feasibility study for an airport at Punukuduchelka village in Kothagudem mandal of the district. The firm on it behalf did a research on the weather conditions of Punukuduchelka in the past five years. After due consideration of several other factors it concluded that the land in the area was not cultivated, it does not fall under restricted airspace of the defence authorities and is in good proximity to major industries.

Following this report submitted by RITES in November last year, the State government ordered a 'Techno Economic Feasibility' study of the region. The study will cover aspects such as potential air traffic, soil conditions, potential impact on environment, engineering challenges and financial considerations. The Telangana is expected to take a final decision on the airport at Kothagudem once the Techno Economic Feasibility report is received by it. Following this it might submit a formal request for the airport to the Central goverment.
Adilabad: The airport proposal for Adilabad differs vastly from the one for Khammam. The Indian Air Force has a airport in the district. The Telangana government proposes to expand this airport and get approval to start civil operations. The Central government is said to be in favour of this proposal provided the State government bears the cost of providing passenger terminal and other amenities at the airport. The proposal is awaiting final approval by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
Warangal: The district has one of the oldest airports in the region. The defunct airport in the district is spread over 775 acres and was said to have been setup by the Nizam government in 1941. In the 1990s, there were air services between this airport located at Mamnoor and Hyderabad. Local political leaders have suggested adding another 225 acres to the existing 775 acres and making it operational. However, lack of fund allocation is hampering land acquisition for the airport.
Nizamabad: There is a strong demand for an airport in Nizamabad from the people and the political leadership. However, experts say that it may not be possible to have an airport in this district as there should be a minimum aerial distance of 150 kilometers between two airports.