Kohima airport stuck over high cost

Dimapur: A shadow of doubt continues to loom over aviation development plans for Nagaland. After suffering a setback with the airport extension proposal at Aoyimti village in Dimapur, the much awaited Chiethu Greenfield airport at Kohima remains without any signs of taking off. The delay is reported to be due to the high estimate cost of construction — amounting to Rs.1231 crore.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation in 2006 earmarked three proposed Greenfield airports for the North East — Itanagar, Gangtok and Kohima. According to a Ministry report, the Gangtok Pakyong Airport in Sikkim projected an estimated cost of Rs. 358.36 crore. The memo submitted by the Sikkim government was immediately approved by the Airport Authority of India and the airport is due completion by 2011.
Meanwhile, the Itanagar airport in Arunachal Pradesh, with an estimated of cost Rs. 699.66 crore, received a nod from a Central panel in March this year. The Arunachal Pradesh government has already announced the construction of the new airport. Only the ambitious Chiethu airport remains stalled. The Ministry of Civil Aviation in its report said the project is likely to be unviable due to its high cost.
02/04/10 Y. Merina Chishi/The Morung Express

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Categories: Airports Apr 2010