Pune: Purandar airport project gets February 2024 deadline

PUNE: Nearly five years after the then state government announced it, the international airport project in Purandar has a new deadline — February 2024.
Recently, deputy chief minister Pawar had identified an alternate site, comprising seven villages in Purandar and three in Baramati.

The state government submitted this proposal for the Centre’s approval, and sources in the loop said the airport was expected to become operational in under three years.
“We are looking at February 2024. We are sure there would be no problems with land acquisition,” the source said.
The previous, BJP-led government had approved moving the project to Purandar in October 2016, after attempts to acquire land in Khed failed due to protests by landowners. The then government had expected the airport to become operational by late 2020, before officials’ efforts were stymied by protests from landowners from seven villages — Pargaon, Udachiwadi, Munjwadi, Ekhatpuri, Khanauri, Vanpuri, and Kumbharvan.
Last year, newly elected Purandar MLA Sanjay Jagtap had championed an effort to change the site, this time to the area covered by Mavadi, Pimpri, Rajuri, Naygaon, Rise, Pise, and Pandeshwar villages.
Villagers from this site too are against the project. “Due to the pandemic, no government officials have come to our villages. We will not allow our land to be taken. We have formed a committee and have written to senior officials and politicians,” Mahesh Kad, resident of Naygaon, said.
Landowners from the three villages in Baramati — Changurwadi, Bhondwewadi and Ambi — were also worried. “Ours is fertile land and we are worried about the future,” Akash Shelke from Bhondwewadi village said.
Purandar MLA Sanjay Jagtap maintained the new plan was feasible. “I will soon share more details,” he told TOI.
Sources confirmed that approvals were awaited from various ministries, including defence. It had taken more than a year for the previous site to be approved.
Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited officials declined to comment, while aviation watchers expect the new development to delay things further.
“With no timeline in sight, the project seems to be on the backburner. The new site may have been justified, but the project might face delays over political equations and the time-consuming approval process. Industry and commerce bodies — expected to act as pressure groups — seem unfazed. Looks like Punekars would have to wait for a modern, independent civil airport,” aviation analyst Dhairyashil Vandekar said.