IGI land to highway body for Dwarka Expressway?

New Delhi: To improve road connectivity to Delhi airport, a meeting was held on January 8 regarding transfer of 28 acres of IGI land to National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for construction of Dwarka Expressway project to resolve the twin issues of connectivity and traffic congestion.

Out of the 35 acres of land in possession of Airports Authority of India (AAI) outside the operational area of Indira Gandhi International  (IGI) Airport, the NHAI has requested for transfer of 28.54 acres of land.

The AAI will offer five  acres of land on the north side of Shivmurthy, which is adjacent to the land handed over to the NSG to IAF, in lieu of their commitment made earlier to IAF.

The Secretary (Civil Aviation), who chaired the meeting, requested the NHAI to elaborate their requirements of land. Thereafter, member (PPP), NHAI made a presentation indicating plans to improve connectivity to the airport and requirement of land among others.

As per the drawing submitted by NHAI for providing underground tunnel, the alignment passes in such a way through the said 35 acres of land that the balance of 6.46 acres was of no use to AAI.

It was. therefore, decided in the meeting that the AAI will transfer 28.54 acres of land to NHAI. Out of this, NHAI will make payment to AAI at market rate for 19.5 acres of land and the remaining 6.46 acres of land at 50 per cent of the market rate.

It was also decided that the land already earmarked for BCAS and DGCA regional offices by AAI will be dealt with separately.

For providing connectivity, the NHAI requires another 3.3 acres of land at Railway line on Dwarka side. This land is leased out to DIAL as per the Operation, Management and Development Agreement lease deed.

The DIAL representative said they have no objection to AAI giving the said land to NHAI, the cost of which will be paid by it to AAI at market rate.

The highway authority also proposes to construct a link road between Shivmurthy to provide road connectivity to T3 at its own cost. Feasibility of constructing such a road within the periphery of IGI, outside the airport boundary by expanding service road or by way of shallow tunnel will be examined by NHAI and it will submit a report by January 31.