The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) announced on Monday (December 23) that 42,433 landowners are entitled to compensation for land acquisition to build the third phase of the Noida International Airport in Jewar. “The revised compensation rate will smoothen the acquisition process and keep it on schedule. We have already begun preparations to conduct a social impact assessment and will soon compile a list of affected farmers. This will encourage farmers to release their land for the project,” said Arun Veer Singh, Chief Executive Officer of the Noida International Airport. This follows an announcement by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday (December 21) that the compensation would be increased from Rs 3,100 per sqm to Rs 4,300 per sqm. What do we know about the Noida International Airport? The Uttar Pradesh government envisaged the development of a greenfield airport at Jewar which will connect cities including Agra, Mathura and Gautam Buddh Nagar among others. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Jewar Airport on 26 November 2021. This development will ensure improved industrialization in the region and also boost the tourism sector. YEIDA identified 5,100 ha for the project, and later the Zurich Airport International AG was selected as a concessionaire for the development of the six-runway Jewar Airport. The Airport is expected to be operational at Noida on April 17, 2025, with around 30 flights scheduled for both domestic and international routes. In the initial phase, 25 flights will connect key domestic destinations, while three flights will cater to international locations. Additionally, two flights will be dedicated to cargo services. Once completed, Jewar Airport is expected to become Asia's largest and the world's fourth-largest airport, significantly enhancing air travel capacity in the National Capital Region (NCR) of India. What progress has been made on land acquisition? The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) completed two phases of land acquisition – the first in 2018-2021 and the second by 2024. In the first phase, 1,334 hectares were acquired at a rate of Rs 2,100 per sqm, while 1365 hectares were acquired in the second phase at Rs 3,100 per sqm. The third phase is currently underway. YEIDA plans to acquire 2,053 hectares and has already completed the Social Impact Assessment for the same. The land acquisition process is expected to commence in April 2025. For the third phase, the rate has further escalated to Rs 4,300 per sqm. 99.4% of landowners were compensated in the first phase, and 93.8% in the second, according to Singh. He said that those who have not been compensated yet faced issues of inheritance. Why has the process of land acquisition been challenging? There have been several protests since 2017 demanding increased compensation and other benefits. However, Singh disagrees. He told The Indian Express that YEIDA had reconciled with the farmers and secured their consent by raising the compensation in every phase. He said that YEIDA had sought the consent of farmers and landowners to prioritise their welfare, despite it “not being legally required” for such a large-scale infrastructure project. According to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, the prior consent of at least 80% of the affected families is needed for land acquisition. The CEO added that this is likely the first and only case in which no legal cases regarding land acquisition were filed in the High Court or Supreme Court. How has the project timeline been affected? The development of the Noida International Airport in Jewar was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. It was delayed by eight months owing to the pandemic. However, YEIDA is positive that it will still manage to begin the flight operations as per schedule.
