Ahead of Bihar poll schedule announcement, Centre’s panel gives green nod for terminal building at Purnea airport

The project developer, Airports Authority of India (AAI), has projected an estimated passenger traffic of 2.1 million per annum and cargo handling of 8,020 million tonnes per annum in the region. The proposed terminal and allied development will be on a 21-hectare area handed over by the Bihar government. It will consist of a 20,250 sq m terminal building, including aero bridges, ground support equipment area, cargo complex, apron area, and taxiway, among other things.

The EAC noted during its September 10 meeting that the AAI has entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Defence, through the Centre’s regional connectivity scheme Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN). Originally, it was a military airport built at the Chunapur Indian Air Force station after the India-China War of 1962.

The MoU will allow the AAI to utilise the government-owned airport for public transportation. It will also optimise the runway, air traffic control, and navigational aids of the Chunapur IAF station, as per the minutes of the EAC meeting.

For the inauguration of the airport’s interim terminal last week, porta cabins or pre-fabricated structures were used. The interim terminal is spread over 3,450 sq m and will serve 300 passengers per hour.

This is Bihar’s fourth airport and the first in the eastern Seemanchal region, closer to the West Bengal border. At present, people from Purnea usually travel to Darbhanga, Bagdogra or Patna for domestic flights. In the initial phase, the airport will accommodate short-haul regional flights connecting to Kolkata, Delhi, and Ranchi, as per the AAI. Flight operations first commenced in Purnea in the 1970s and a few services operated very briefly to Patna and Kolkata in 2012, before they were discontinued.

As per the details submitted to the EAC, the project area is mainly agricultural land and fallow land allotted to the AAI by the state government. Since the project and future activities will need water, the expert panel directed the AAI to construct a small bund or check dam on the Kosi Dhar River as a source of water and to recharge the groundwater.

The EAC also put in a condition to prepare an environment management plan due to the presence of Schedule–I wildlife species.

Less than 70 trees will be impacted due to the project. However, the EAC noted that the AAI has not conducted a tree survey in consultation with the local forest department to ascertain the exact number, type and other ecological details of the trees. Thus, it asked the developer to undertake a comprehensive tree survey and submit it within three months.

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