UP to float global tender for Rs 16,000 crore Noida airport project

The proposed airport would be built on the public private partnership (PPP) model and 1,426 hectares would be acquired for the project

Uttar Pradesh government will float global tender for the proposed Noida International Greenfield Airport project at Jewar, Greater Noida, which is estimated to cost nearly Rs 16,000 crore.

The state cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday put its seal of approval to float global tender for the airport project, which has been envisioned as a future aviation hub that will also decongest the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.

“The global tender would be floated on May 30 and within the next 6 months, the bidding process would be completed. By January 2020, the contract is likely to be awarded to the selected companies,” UP government spokesperson and health minister Sidharth Nath Singh told media here this afternoon.

The proposed airport would be built on public private partnership (PPP) model, while 1,426 hectares would be acquired for the project. Of total land requirement, nearly 1,200 hectares of private land spanning 6 villages in Gautam Buddh Nagar district would be needed.

Meanwhile, the cabinet also approved prospective disbursal of Rs 895 crore towards rehabilitation and resettlement of affected private land owners.

On July 6, 2017, the Centre had given site clearance for the airport and on October 5, 2017, the union home ministry accorded its no objection certificate (NoC). In December 2017, Rs 1,800 crore was allocated by the UP government for land acquisition, while on May 9, 2018, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) gave its in principle approval to the mega project.

On October 30, 2018, the Adityanath government had notified 1,239 hectares of land for acquisition in Banwariwaas, Dayanatpur Kishorepur, Paarohi, Ranhera and Rohi in Jewar for the development of the airport through UP civil aviation department. On December 11, 2018, the state cabinet had decided to create a ‘level playing field’ for global infrastructure majors to bid for the project by scrapping a few clauses in standard bidding terms, which had earlier accorded weightage to domestic infra firms vis-à-vis their foreign counterparts.

In January 2019, the cabinet had notified land for the rehabilitation of displaced farmers as well. The notification for acquiring 50 hectares of land in Jewar tehsil was issued on January 18, where displaced farmers would be resettled and rehabilitated.

Earlier, Adityanath had underlined the utility of the proposed project for not only UP, but also other Northern states, including Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Haryana.

The project has been hanging fire over the last 18 years after it was first conceived in 2000 owing to regulatory and clearances hurdles.

As per techno-economic feasibility report, the airport would comprise two runways and handle 70 million passengers and 3 million tonnes cargo annually when fully developed. Although, the project needs 5,000 hectares, the airport alone would require 1,300 hectares in first phase to become operational by 2022-23.