Pantnagar Airport Expansion to Result in 7km Shift of Rudrapur-Pantnagar Highway.

The planned expansion of Pantnagar Airport in Udham Singh Nagar district will necessitate the relocation of the Rudrapur-Pantnagar highway (NH-74) by approximately 7 kilometers. To facilitate this development, land has been allocated to the Pantnagar airport authority for survey, mapping, and extension work.

District Magistrate Udayraj Singh announced that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been allocated 103 acres of land for the national highway area affected by the airport expansion. They will soon initiate a survey for constructing the new road.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Manish Bisht formally transferred the allocated land for airport expansion to the authority, noting that around 525 acres from Pantnagar University and the Terai Development Corporation (TDC) have been designated for this project. Bisht mentioned that tenders have already been issued for the demolition of TDC buildings within the designated area.

As expansion efforts progress, Pantnagar Airport Director Monika Dembla highlighted the need for enhanced safety measures, stating that several large, overgrown trees along the airport's boundary pose security risks. In response, Divisional Forest Officer UC Tiwari confirmed that while some tree species require special permission for removal, they will provide a list to the airport authority to facilitate the necessary actions.

ET