NHAI starts constructing highway in Jamnagar that can be used as airstrip

Jamnagar: Jamnagar district in Gujarat will have an emergency airstrip. It is being developed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). The Government of India has selected 11 places to set up the emergency landing airstrip for strategic purposes. Among them only one and the first such airstrip in Gujarat is going to come up near Jamnagar between Datrana and Javanpar in a 4.5 km stretch. It will be used during the war and also during calamities.

The proposed airstrip was announced in 2018 but locals opposed it. Also, the earlier contractor couldn’t find land and therefore the project was in delay. Later the local Lok Sabha MP Poonamben Madam and Collector MA Pandya extended their cooperation, due to which the project has been restarted and is likely to complete in the next 8 months. For smooth landing and take-off of flights, the possible obstructions like power poles, mobile towers, and trees on both sides of this proposed airstrip are removed. Even dividers are removed from the middle of the road. A 60-meter-long road will have a 33-meter cement concrete road on both sides. Parking slots for four aircraft, one air traffic control tower, and barriers on both sides of the road are provisioned in this project.

National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had initially selected 29 road stretches for setting up emergency landing airstrips. After the feasibility study, 13 of them were found suitable for development. Out of them 2 were State highways under the State governments while 11 were national highways.

According to the Sarpanch of Datran village Rupiben Chavda, a 30-meter work has started so far. She said the farming lands of 50 percent of farmers in Datrana and Javanpur villages are to be partially used for this project. So far only 11 farmers are compensated. Chavda said, the farmers would not oppose the project if sufficient compensation is paid to them.