Does Bellary airport require fertile land?

Bellary: Controversy ridden Bellary district is once again in the news, for different reason now, unlike mining subject.
The State Government’s plan to acquire 3,000 acre land for its proposed Airport Project this time, has come in to sharp criticism from across the district. For, the land being surveyed is a fertile black soiled one.
The serenity of Siriwar village has been annihilated by the news of land acquisition. The calm atmosphere experienced after the slump in iron ore market, is no longer persists now.
The issue has gained momentum, and is being discussed at length and breadth, in the backdrop of involvement of mine kings being local MLA and Ministers of the district.
Out of seven taluks in the district only three Bellary, Siruguppa and Hospet have irrigated lands. The village under controversy, the Siriwar village commands nearly 3,000 acres of land out of which nearly 800 acres is hilly area and is unused. The village which has around 10,000 population has to make away with only 12 acres of land. Moreover the village consists of majority of small farmers who hold only two to three acres land of their own. Paddy, chilli, jowar, cotton being the main crops in the region, the village boasts of both black and red type of soil conducive for good crop which is why farmers are opposing the project.
Even the Gram Panchayat has unanimously passed a resolution opposing the land acquisition. Various organisations in the district have come up to stand by the farmers in distress. Even the JD(S) has criticised the the unscientific project. Surveyors of a private company from Bangalore have faced the wrath of the farmers.
16/12/08 Suresh M Jadar/ExpressBuzz

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Categories: Airports Dec 2008, New Dec 2008