Chikkamagaluru district airstrip project set rolling, tenders called

The airstrip was proposed as the city is an important tourist destination.

SHIVAMOGGA: Aimed at promoting tourism and industry, the no-frills airstrip project, proposed in the city, has got the much-needed push with the Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC) inviting tenders to begin the construction. People of Chikkamagaluru district may have reason to cheer as the airstrip could come up even before the ones proposed at Karwar and Madikeri.

Sources in the KSIIDC told Express that the state government has proposed to develop airstrips in Madikeri or Kushalnagar, Davangere, Bagalkot, Udupi, Haveri, Gadag, Karwar, Kollegal, Chikkamagaluru, Raichur and Chitradurga. While the process to implement the project is yet to get going in other places, it has gained a lot of ground in Chikkamagaluru. The KSIIDC is looking for private players to take up the project on design-finance-build-operate-transfer basis.

The airstrip was proposed as the city is an important tourist destination. It has many hill stations including Mullayanagiri, . The district has over 30% of Karnataka’s forests and hosts more than 8.3 million tourists visit every year.

The airstrip is coming up 4-5 km away from Chikkamagaluru Bus Station near Amble Industrial Area. Chikkamagaluru Deputy Commissioner M K Sreerangaiah said there is a plan to expand the runway to 1,400 metres.

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