State plans to develop airstrips of erstwhile royals

Ahmedabad: In order to promote intra-state aviation, the state government is planning to develop unused airfields set up by erstwhile princely states during the pre-independence era.
The state civil aviation department has already identified eight such airfields and is in the process of acquiring land to re-develop abandoned aviation infrastructure. Erstwhile princely states, including Wankaner, Wadhvan, Radhanpur, Limdi and Dhangdhra, used to have operational airfields till 1950. The British officials frequently used airfields in Chaadbet and Khavda in Kutch as well as Khambhalia airstrip in Jamnagar.
"These airfields have been out of use for the past five decades. Though they are no longer in use, the state aviation department would not to go through lengthy procedures to get licences and other permissions including environment clearances. Besides, we will get a readymade base and can create infrastructure at much faster pace," said an official in the state aviation department.
"An airfield was prepared post Independence near Wadhvan, which is situated on Surendranagar-Rajkot highway," said Chaitanyadevsinh Jhala, 65, of Wadhvan's royal family. Jhala used to travel from Mumbai to Wadhvan at the age of five with his father.
05/01/11 Nayan Dave/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Jan 2011, New Jan 2011