Nishank hopes completion of Dehradun airport’s phase 1 construction by March end

Union Minister Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has expressed hope that the Phase-I of the construction at the Jollygrant airport in Dehradun will be completed by March end. 

Chairing the meeting of Airport Advisory Committee at Dehradun Airport, Jollygrant today, Dr Nishank, who is the chairman of Airport Advisory Committee at length discussed the ongoing construction at the airport and its future expansion plans. 

The Union Minister also suggested that Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority should explore coming up with a scheme of ‘Himalaya Darshan’ with the help of heli service providers and GMVN to attract tourists. Speaking about the UDAN scheme, the Chairman said that it should be leveraged to provide connectivity to hilly and remote areas of the state. 

Outlining the need to increase revenue through tourism, the Chairman said that a state of the art airport would provide livelihood to the people of the state. However he added that the sentiments and priorities of the local population around the airport must be kept in mind while the proposed expansion of the airport gets underway. The chairman said that land acquisition for the airport must also take into account the impact on ecology.   

The minister said that the carbon footprint of the airport must be minimised and appreciated that the airport had banned single use plastic. He stressed the need for better connectivity of the airport from Dehradun City, Rishikesh and Haridwar. The minister also mooted the idea of making Doiwala Railway Station as the primary connection of the airport.

Sunday, 24 January 2021 | PNS | Dehradun