Land Acquisition For Coimbatore Airport Expansion Nears Completion

The acquisition of land for the expansion of the runway at Coimbatore International Airport in Tamil Nadu is in its final stages, with officials aiming to complete the process by the end of June.

The airport is located in Peelamedu, 11 km from the city centre of Coimbatore. 

The total area of 627.89 acres identified for airport expansion is spread across 23 blocks in four villages, namely Singanallur, Uppilippalayam, Kalapatti, and Irugur, as well as one block owned by the defence.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will carry out development works, including extending the runway from its current length of 9,500 feet to 12,500 feet, once the site has been fully acquired.

Initial plans to finish land acquisition by 15 May were delayed due to the involvement of Revenue Department officials in Lok Sabha election duties. District Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati is overseeing the process, urging officials to expedite the remaining tasks.

Trade bodies are preparing to write to the new Union Minister for Civil Aviation, seeking more international connectivity from Coimbatore, highlighting the importance of the runway expansion for enhancing the region's air travel infrastructure, reports The Hindu.

"Almost all major works of the land acquisition have been completed, and officials are engaged in some of the final stage works. The plan is to wrap up the process by June end," an official stated.

In early May, only 14 acres out of the 635.33 acres sanctioned by the State government for acquisition were pending. Of these, 10 acres fall under the open space reserve (OSR) category or 'no cost land,' leaving compensation and acquisition issues for just four acres.

The designated acquisition area comprises diverse land categories spanning Singanallur, Uppilipalayam, Kalapatti, Neelambur, and Irugur villages, encompassing 468.83 acres of patta lands, 28.37 acres of poramboke lands, 134.32 acres of defence lands, and 3.30 acres of other government department lands.