Hollongi Airport has once again found prominent space in the front pages of newspapers as Union Minister of Civil Aviation on Monday  declared the new deadline for its completion as March 31, 2022. This announcement has all the ingredients to renew the long-nurtured dream of the people of Arunachal Pradesh of having a full-functional airport and there will be beginning of countdown now with the yearning that this deadline be the final one with no further revision, and is met perfectly.

Longing for having an airport has reached a high pitch since it is more than three decades now after attaining statehood in 1987 and more distressingly, the truth of being the only state in Northeast without an airport is always painful. Although it will be an over-repetition of facts that have surrounded the airport dream so far, it is worth recalling that the plan to build an airport at capital was conceived way back in 2007, but due to differences between various stakeholders, the project  got delayed. It was only five years later in 2012, Prime Minister’s Office eventually stepped in and Hollongi was finalised. Since then after clearing various decks, it was finally in early February this year foundation stone of this prestigious project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, heralding the much awaited green signal for actual commencement.

As per technical specifications Hollongi is going to be a better one than many airports in the country including Gangtok’s Pakyong and will include several sustainability features such as green belt as noise barrier, energy-efficient equipment etc. More importantly, the 2,200 meter runway will be enough to allow take-off and landing of  huge jet aircrafts, thus keeping it prepared for international flights that would presumably commence in future. In every parameter, it is going to be a permanent asset for Arunachal and a real catalyst that would give the much needed fillip for economic growth and a thumbs-up for tourism. It is true that the state needs the airport badly, but the country’s long-term gains also need mentioning since it will serve so many strategic purposes including defence that will have overarching ramifications in the light of the currently pursued Act East policy. 

With such an encouraging atmosphere that has now been created and the expectation that will only grow in future months, it is obvious that a deviation from this deadline will be a real shocker. The need for a Project Monitoring Committee involving top-level officials both from Centre and State to ensure an expeditious completion has also been highlighted in various discussions that demands a serious thought.

Altogether, an old dream has once more been rekindled and it will be the expectation that this time there will be no further disappointments.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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