Jamshedpur, March 7 The Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry staged a protest at Postal Park here on Saturday to protest the stalled construction of an airport at Dhalbhumgarh in East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand.
Traders, industrialists, social organizations, and local residents joined the demonstration, demanding that the long-delayed airport project, located about 55-60 km from Jamshedpur, be expedited.
SCCI president Manav Kedia said that the foundation stone for the project was laid on January 24, 2019, to provide air connectivity to Jamshedpur and the Kolhan industrial hub, which comprises East and West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharswan districts.
Despite the lapse of several years since the foundation-laying ceremony, Kedia expressed regret that no meaningful construction had begun at the site.
He attributed administrative and regulatory hurdles, including issues related to forest and environmental clearances, as reasons for the delay.
Referring to a meeting with the Deputy Commissioner of East Singhbhum recently, Kedia said that he had clarified that there was no pending clearance from the state government for the project.
The delay has deprived Jamshedpur, one of the most important industrial hubs of Eastern India, of essential connectivity required for business travel, investment, tourism, and regional development, he observed.
The proposed greenfield airport at Dhalbhumgarh was planned over 99.265 hectares, compared to the existing 66-hectare airstrip, he claimed, adding that the airport was proposed to have a runway of 2.1 km, which would have been longer than the Ranchi airport runway and capable of handling larger aircraft.
Kedia claimed that nearly 37 per cent of the passenger load at Ranchi airport originates from Jamshedpur, clearly demonstrating the demand for direct air connectivity in the region.