Assam: Barak Valley Aviation Dreams Take Flight As Centre Clears Doloo Airport Site

The greenfield airport at the Doloo Tea Estate near Silchar in southern Assam’s Cachar district has received site clearance from the centre, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed.

The proposal for site clearance was sent to the steering committee of the Ministry of Civil Aviation in November 2022 by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

Under the Greenfield Airport (GFA) Policy of 2008, an airport developer, including the state government, willing to establish an airport is required to send a proposal to the Ministry of Civil Aviation in the prescribed format for a two-stage process: site clearance followed by in-principle approval.

The current site of the Doloo tea estate was reportedly chosen by the Airports Authority of India, out of two other sites earmarked for the airport, in consultation with the state government, which is the project proponent. The other two sites were reportedly the Kharail tea estate in Doloo and the Silcoorie tea estate.

With the site clearance obtained, the state government is now one step closer to initiating a significant transformation in connectivity for the Barak Valley.

The Barak Valley, comprising three districts – Cachar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj – is predominantly Bengali. Currently, it is served by the Kumbhirgram Airport. However, due to its status as a defense establishment, expanding the facility to accommodate the increasing demands of air traffic is not feasible.

The Doloo airport, beyond fulfilling the increased demand from customers, promises to foster economic prosperity for the region.

Nestled approximately 330 kilometres away from Guwahati, Assam’s capital, the Doloo tea estate sprawls across 9,965 bighas of lush land. According to reports, the estate employs approximately 1,900 tea garden workers, encompassing both regular and non-regular employees.

However, land acquisition efforts at Doloo Tea Estate had led to protests by tea garden workers, but the government assured them that no worker would face eviction or job loss.

In a display of goodwill and solidarity, the Assam Cabinet has pledged to offer a sum of Rs one lakh to each family residing in the tea garden, as a goodwill gesture for cooperating with the government as it takes steps to build the airport.