Kolkata airport-city project being reworked

Kolkata airport-city project being reworked 

Source:

THE HINDU

Mar 15, 2009

Special Correspondent 

[epaper: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/03/15/stories/2009031555251200.htm]

1.4 billion tonnes of prime Raniganj coal will be blocked if the scheme is implemented.

Rs. 10,000 crore to be spent in four phases. CIL to press for relocating three steel projects.

KOLKATA: Following a high-level meeting between officials of the State Government and Coal India Ltd (CIL), it has now been decided to rework the proposed airport-city project at Andal near Durgapur in West Bengal.

With their stand being vindicated, the Navratna public sector unit has now decided to press for a re-look at three more industrial projects, which they claim, are proposed to be set up on areas bearing prime quality coal.

A study done by the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI) had revealed that coal reserves of about 1.4 billion tonnes of prime Ranigunj coal will get blocked if the aerotropolis project, proposed by a consortium of companies for setting up an airport and a mini-township in the Andal-Fardipur block in Burdwan, is implemented.

The study revealed that about 350 million tonnes is under the licensed area of Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL), a CIL subsidiary. 

The reworked project will also have to take into account the Sharpi 'longwall mining' project of ECL which is being developed by a U.K.-based company on a contract-basis. 

"This is the best project of ECL using longwall mining technology and this should not be disrupted in the interest of increased coal output from underground mines," a CIL official said.

The commissioning of the CMPDI study came after CIL received the detailed map of the airport project which is proposed to be implemented as a private project assisted by the State's apex industry promotion agency. While the airport would come up by developing an existing airstrip at Andal near Asansol, a mini-township is proposed to be set up.

Bengal Aerotroplis Projects Ltd (BAPL), a special purpose vehicle which has been floated for this purpose, proposed to spend Rs. 10,000 crore in four phases over seven years to create this infrastructure, with the airport coming up in 30 months from getting the land. It also planned to replicate the model in other States.

At the meeting, which was chaired by the State Chief Secretary, it was decided that of the 3,500 acres required for the project, 2,300 acres were required for the airport, around 500 acres would have to be taken out of the project area, in order to protect existing coal reserves of ECL. Further modification of around six sq. km may be required to protect coal reserves outside ECL's leasehold area. 

CIL officials will now study this new plan and a meeting has been scheduled later this month.

However, CIL is keen to follow-up in a similar manner the coal reserves, which they feel will get blocked if three steel projects of Bhusan Steel, Videocon and Abhijeet group come up in the same region. 

It now proposes to press the government for relocating these units too in order to protect the coal reserves.