PM inaugurates new terminal at Chandigarh airport

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 11

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated a new terminal at Chandigarh airport which will handle both domestic as well as international flights.

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Modi dedicated to the nation the modern facility, which is expected to boost the economic and industrial development in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

The ambitious Rs 939-crore project, which is being seen as a "harbinger" of regional development for the northern part of the country, will be operated and maintained by Chandigarh International Airport Ltd (CHIAL), a joint venture between Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the governments of Punjab and Haryana.

AAI has 51 per cent stake in the project while Punjab and Haryana have 24.5 per cent equity each.

Governor of Punjab and Haryana and Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh, Kaptan Singh Solanki, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, P Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar were among those present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, Congress workers clashed with the Chandigarh Police at the Congress Bhavan after they were stopped from going to the Prime Minister’s rally at the Sector 25 ground , which the PM will address later in the day.

The police detained several Congress leaders, including Pawan Kumar Bansal, Pardeep Chhabra, Subhash Chawla and Chandigarh Mayor Poonam Sharma, and took them to a police station in Sector 39.

Former Union Minister Bansal alleged the Prime Minister was indulging in 'jumlabaazi'.  He also accused the BJP of picking up several Congress leaders, including women, from their houses late last night.

Before inaugurating the civil air terminal, Modi was shown the model of the new building and taken around an exhibition of photographs of the facility. He was also presented a memento by Civil Aviation Minister Raju.

Designed on the green building concept, the terminal in Mohali (Punjab) is spread over 53,000 sq.m and can handle 1,600 passengers, including 450 international travellers, during peak time.

The apron capacity of the airport will be eight aircraft, including cargo planes.

With parking facility for 500 cars, it is equipped with 48 check-in counters, nine immigration counters, four arrival baggage carousels, three passenger boarding bridges, six escalators and 14 lifts.

Depicting heritage and culture of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh with murals, paintings and sculptures, the terminal building has five levels with arrival hall at ground floor, departures in the first floor and services, including baggage handling system, and offices in the basement.

Built by construction major L&T, the terminal sets a new benchmark in sustainability with green technologies like using about 55-lakh fly ash bricks, cavity wall, double insulated roofing, energy efficient chillers and sensor-based plumbing system to save water.

It boasts of a sewage treatment plant of 600 KLD, which is based on environment-friendly extended aeration technology, water treatment plant, rain water harvesting and re-use of treated water for flushing and gardening.

Also, international-level baggage handling system and Wi-Fi facilities have also been provided.

Punjab had given 305 acres of land at Jheorheri village in Mohali to AAI in 2008 for setting up the new facility. —With PTI inputs