High court approves proposed airport at Hollongi in Arunachal

The Gauhati High Court has put its seal of approval on the construction of the proposed airport of Arunachal Pradesh at Hollongi, near here.
A bench comprising Chief Justice A M Sapre and Justice A K Goswami while pronouncing the judgement yesterday on a PIL said, "On careful evaluation of all the factors and issues for establishment of the airport in two locations, it becomes obvious that the change in the location for establishment of the airport from Banderdewa to Hollongi is technically and scientifically justified."
The PIL was filed by one Kipa Taniang against the decision of the Airport Authority of India to shift the site from Karsingsa in Banderdewa to Hollongi.

Based on his PIL, the court on November 14 last year had constituted a committee to visit both the sites and make ground level assessment.
The committee, headed by former judge Justice A C Upadhyay, visited both the sites and submitted its 26-page report to the court recently.
"All the members of the committee individually and collectively subscribed to the view that the site for construction of Greenfield Airport at Hollongi would be more appropriate, suitable and convenient in terms of topography, environmental impact, constructability, airport operations and on safety point of view," the judges said.
The petitioner argued that the decision to shift the airport was taken to extend undue benefit to a few people in power.