UDAN plan in Telangana runs into rough weather

Hyderabad: Fresh spell of heavy rains cast a shadow on the development of new airports in the Telangana State.

The Centre has reportedly put the brakes on the proposed development of airports in the identified six places including the flood- hit Warangal city and asked the State government to submit a report on the High Flood Level ( HFL) in those selected towns before taking up the construction of new airports.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation had recently announced development of six airports at Mamunuru ( Warangal), Basanth Nagar ( Peddapally), Khanapur ( Adilabad), Jakranpally ( Nizamabad) , Kothagudem and Devarakadra in old Mahabubnagar district. The new airports were being developed under UDAN ( Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagarik) - Regional Connectivity Scheme launched by the Centre to improve connectivity between the two tier cities in the country.

In the wake of reports that the heavy rains submerged many areas surrounding the new airports, top officials said that the Airports Authority Of India (AAI) has sent an official communication to the State government seeking the details of the threat of submergence of proposed new airports in case the specific airport zones are hit by heavy rains .

On the insistence of the AAI, the State Roads and Building department has taken up the study of high flood levels in the surrounding areas of the proposed airstrips. Required lands were already identified for the new airports in the six locations and waiting for clearances from the Air Force, Union Ministry of Environment and other authorised agencies.

"The safety of airports has been the top priority. Hence, the AAI was seeking the details of canals, water reservoirs, irrigation projects and flood threat to the proposed mini airports during the monsoon season," officials said, adding that under the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, big reservoirs- Ramappa, Pakala and Ghanpur tanks came up in and around Warangal.

Whether the safety of the airport in Warangal is in danger will be known in the report to be prepared by R & B engineers in consultation with the Irrigation department soon. It may be mentioned here that the Warangal was the worst-hit district by the recent heavy rains. The entire city and surrounding areas marooned due overflow of water bodies and tanks developed around the second big Municipal Corporation in Telangana.

Officials said that the proposed airports in Kothagudem, Peddapally, Nizamabad and Adilabad were close to river Godavari which has been transformed as a hub of reservoirs under Kaleshwaram Project recently. The flood threat from the reservoirs to the airports will be taken as main criteria before finalising the construction plans. The proposed airport in Devarakhadra was also located close to the ongoing Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation scheme taken up on river Krishna in the dense Nallamala forest region. The project is also required clearances from the Environment Ministry before the works kick starts.

Officials said that the airport locations will be altered if they are prone to floods and submergence. The report will be finalised in a week or ten days and submit the same to the Airport Authority of India.