BDA To Evict Slum Dwellers For Expansion Of Bhubaneswar Airport

Bhubaneswar: With the authorities going for an expansion of the Biju Patnaik International Airport here, Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) has begun the process to evict the residents of two slums near the airport periphery within 15 days.

Notably, the Bhubaneswar airport authority in a letter to the General Administration department had requested to provide 1.6 acres of government land near the airport for the expansion of a parallel taxiway. In response, the GA department had asked BDA to evict the living in Gandamunda and Laxmi Bazar slums near the airport boundary wall.

Though BDA had decided to demolish 130 shanties in these two slums, it is yet to take up the work because Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has not yet provided the rehabilitation package to the slum dwellers.

BMC sources said some residents of Gandamunda slum, who are beneficiaries of the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY), will be moved to transit houses and provided with emergency assistance for three days after moving. Those who move to houses on rent will be given a monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500 for six months.

According to the director of Biju Patnaik International Airport, Suresh Chandra Hota, the proposed parallel taxiway will be as long as the runway so that an aircraft can go to the taxiway instead of making a turn on the runway. This will considerably reduce the waiting time for departing flights for take-off from the runway as the Air Traffic Control (ATC) will announce the runway space free very soon.

With the expansion of the taxiway, the city airport taxiway will be accorded the 4-D status which will facilitate the movement of Boeing 767 and the Airbus 321 aircraft.