Karnataka: Govt moots second airport in Tumakuru or Kolar

BENGALURU: The state government on Wednesday sounded off a proposal to build a greenfield airport in either Tumakuru or Kolar to 'decongest' Bengaluru air traffic in the years to come.
With the HAL airport looking relatively 'bleak' in opening itself for civil aviation, the state is scouting for alternatives that are closer to the IT-BT capital of the country.
Speaking to media, vice-chairman for planning commission BJ Puttaswamy on Wednesday said the infrastructure development department (IDD) has proposed the two districts of Kolar and Tumakuru for the purpose of constructing the airport.
“We had a meeting with the department and efforts are being made to identify a location for the purpose. This is in lieu of the possible saturation of Bengaluru in the coming years for air traffic,” he said.
Confirming the possibility of scouting locations in the two districts, IDD officials said the entire process will take no less than 10 years as the identification of the location and construction of a full fledged airports cannot be done overnight.
“The intention is to create an alternative to the already burgeoning air traffic in Bengaluru. But the process is long drawn and will take at least 10 years, by which time the concessionaire agreement with BIAL would have been closer to being ended,” said one official.
According to Puttaswamy, the possibility of Kolar being the site for the new airport is slightly less as it would help mostly neighbouring Andhra Pradesh than Karnataka.
However, IDD officials claim Kolar does have a ready made infrastructure with a World War II era airstrip which is currently being used by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for its test flights.
“However, with the airstrip under the control of the MoD it is difficult for the construction of an airport in the district,” said the official.
Meanwhile, Puttaswamy said the government is already preparing to have 10 airports in the entire state with one for every three districts.
The fresh airports which are being considered are in the districts of Gadag, Koppal, Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru.