Telangana: Government To Begin Land Acquisition For Mamnoor Airport Expansion Project In Warangal

The Warangal district administration is set to begin the land acquisition process to construct a terminal building and extend the runway at Mamnoor Airport in Telangana.

The district administration received official orders from the state government to proceed with the land acquisition process for the airport.

To accommodate larger aircraft, such as the Boeing 747, the current runway must be extended from 1.8 km to 3.9 km.

For the development of the airport, the state government has already set aside Rs 100 crore.

The state cabinet has approved the allocation of additional land to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) for the Mamnoor airport.

Currently, the AAI possesses 696 acre of land, but for the airport's re-operation, a total of 949 acre is required.

In order to facilitate the reoperation of Mamnoor airport, an additional 253 acre of land are needed. Two months ago, district collector P Pravinya met with Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao to discuss the issue, and the Minister assured the collector of the state government's support.

The required land for the AAI at Mamnoor airport has been identified, and a detailed project report has been prepared for the state government's approval, according to collector Pravinya.

The land acquisition process will involve coordination with farmers from Nakkalapally, Gadepally, and the surrounding villages. As compensation, the government is offering 373.02 acre of land in the Fort Warangal revenue division, at the PV Narasimha Rao Veterinary University.

The collector mentioned that the farmers are willing to participate in the land exchange. Once the orders are received, meetings will be conducted and awareness about the land exchange will be created to initiate the process, reports The New Indian Express.

The redevelopment of the Mamnoor airport is highly anticipated by residents as it is expected to bring economic growth to the city and surrounding villages.

The airport has the potential to attract foreign tourists who can visit various tourist attractions in the area, such as the Ramappa Temple in Mulugu district, the Thousand Pillars Temple in Hanamkonda, and Fort Warangal.

Additionally, residents believe that the establishment of the union government's textile park, proposed in the state government's Kakatiya Mega Textile Park in Warangal, may open opportunities for exporting cotton products from Mamnoor Airport.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Minister K T Rama Rao, and other public officials have met with the Union Minister of Civil Aviation on multiple occasions in an attempt to resurrect the Mamnoor airport, which halted operations in 1981.

The seventh Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, constructed the airport in 1930 for the convenience of the Sirpur Kaghaznagar enterprises and the Azam Zahi mills in Warangal.

The Mamnoor airport with more than one terminal, was the largest such facility during the pre-independence era. At present, the airport has become defunct. However, Warangal has been on the list of proposed airstrips under UDAN, the regional airport connectivity programme.

It was used as a hangar for government aircraft during the India-China war because Delhi Airport was a prime target. From Mamnoor, there were a lot of freight flights and Vayudooth services.