Pune: The long-anticipated Purandar International Airport project is set to advance, with land acquisition surveys scheduled to begin on April 9. District Collector Jitendra Dudi confirmed that drones will be deployed for the survey to ensure a precise and efficient process.
The survey will focus on villages where land acquisition is planned, marking a crucial phase in the airport’s development. A high-level meeting, chaired by Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) CEO P. Velrasu, was held in Pune to review the project’s progress, with particular emphasis on the land survey.
According to a statement from the District Information Officer (DIO), the proposed airport will cover 2,832 hectares. The Maharashtra government has sanctioned Rs 4.8 crore for the survey, which will assess land conditions, existing structures, and crops. Authorities will notify affected villagers beforehand, issuing official notices to ensure transparency and public awareness. The survey will proceed only after completing all necessary protocols.
The meeting also included senior revenue officials such as Divisional Commissioner Chandrakant Phulkundwar. Discussions centered on key aspects like the issuance of a Government Resolution, the methodology of the drone survey, and the status of government and forest land involved in the acquisition.
Originally approved in 2014 during Devendra Fadnavis’s first tenure as Chief Minister, the Purandar airport project has gained momentum in recent years. With Pune’s current international airport reaching capacity, the demand for a new facility has become increasingly urgent, particularly for the city’s industrial sector. District Collector Dudi previously assured that land acquisition would be expedited to keep the project on track.
