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To give a new impetus to industrial and business activities in Jharkhand, which is rich in mineral wealth and natural resources, the state government and the Airport Authority of India (AAI) have prepared a big plan to strengthen the air network. After the great success of Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport and Deoghar International Airport, now preparations are on to bring other major industrial and strategic centers of the state on the air map. In this series, the process of building a modern greenfield airport on about 540 acres of land in Dhalbhumgarh of East Singhbhum district has gained momentum. Along with this, land selection and technical survey work has also been started for the development of a new airport in Sahibganj, Ganga coastal district of Santal Pargana. With the implementation of these two ambitious projects, a new era of interstate and regional air connectivity will begin across Jharkhand.
The airport to be built at Dhalbhumgarh in East Singhbhum is not a completely new land, but a historical military airstrip from the World War II era already exists here. This runway, built for strategic importance during the British era, is now being redeveloped as a state-of-the-art civil enclave. There are plans to construct a modern passenger terminal building, ATC tower, fire station and at least 2.5 to 3 kilometer long runway on approximately 540 acres of land identified for the project. The length of this runway is being kept so that not only small 72-seater ATR aircraft can land here, but in future, larger commercial jets like Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 can also operate without any hindrance. The construction works are being expedited by removing the hurdles of necessary NOC and clearance from the Ministry of Forest and Environment (MoEFCC).
Construction of Dhalbhumgarh Airport will prove to be a lifeline for iron city Jamshedpur (Tata Nagar). Presently the small airstrip located at Sonari, Jamshedpur is not suitable for large commercial aircraft due to limited runway length and densely populated area. Industrialists, corporate executives and local residents of Jamshedpur, Chandil and Ghatshila have to travel to Ranchi, 130 km away, or Kolkata Airport, 250 km away, to go to Kolkata or Delhi. Dhalbhumgarh is located at an easy distance of just 45 to 50 minutes from Jamshedpur city via National Highway-18 and NH-49. With the opening of this airport, the movement of domestic and foreign investors associated with Tata Steel, automobile clusters, MSME units and copper mining industry will become very fast and easy.
Along with Dhalbhumgarh, the state government is also focusing on developing a new airport in Sahibganj district bordering Bihar and Bengal. Sahibganj has already become the most important hub of National Waterway-1 (NW-1) due to the country’s second Multi-Modal Inland Waterway Terminal built on the river Ganga. Excellent connectivity by rail, water and road already exists here. Now with the addition of the airport at Sahibganj, this area will emerge as a huge multi-modal logistics hub for North-East India and the Malda-Murshidabad region of West Bengal. Local businessmen involved in stone industry, agricultural products and handicrafts will get direct access to national markets, which will create thousands of new employment and self-employment opportunities for the youth of Santal Pargana.
Under the Central Government’s ‘Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik’ i.e. UDAN Regional Connectivity Scheme, both these new airports will be directly connected to Tier-1 and Tier-2 metros. Under the initial plan, a proposal has been prepared to start direct flights from Dhalbhumgarh to Kolkata, New Delhi, Bhubaneswar, Patna and Bengaluru. At the same time, plans are being made to operate 40 to 72 seater regional aircraft from Sahibganj to eastern cities like Ranchi, Patna, Siliguri (Bagdogra) and Guwahati. By getting tickets at subsidized fare under the UDAN scheme, air travel will become affordable and accessible even for common middle class families.
Air connectivity not only reduces travel time but also changes the face of the economy of the entire state. With the construction of Dhalbhumgarh, the natural beauty of Ghatshila, Dharagiri Falls, Jaduguda and Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary will get a tremendous boost to eco-tourism. Similarly, with the opening of Sahibganj Airport, it will become very easy for foreign tourists to reach the historical Teliagarhi Fort, the ancient hills of Rajmahal and the World Heritage Fossils Park. This new aviation infrastructure will prove to be a milestone in establishing Jharkhand as a major economic, logistics and tourism powerhouse of Eastern India.