Survey for Gaggal airport runway bridge from today

Lalit Mohan

Advertisement

Dharamsala, November 22

Experts from the Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune, will conduct a survey of a stretch of the Manjhi river passing through Gaggal for the next three days.

Manjhi river canalisation

• Experts from Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune, will suggest measures for Manjhi river canalisation
• They will submit a detailed report to the government regarding construction of a runway bridge over the river
• The bridge is necessary for the Gaggal airport expansion

Sources said the experts, along with officials of the IPH Department, would collect data on the strata of the stretch. They would suggest measures for canalisation of the river.

They would also give a detailed report to the government regarding the construction of a runway bridge over the Manjhi.

Kangra DC Nipun Jindal said a meeting was held today in which the data regarding the river was handed over to the experts. They would work in the area for three days and submit a detailed project report (DPR) to the government regarding the canalisation of the river and the construction of a runway bridge.

The airport is the busiest in Himachal and operates around the year. The demand for its expansion was being raised since long. The Gaggal airport strip was just 1,372 metres and can only accommodate 70-seater planes.

The airport is proposed to be expanded in two phases. Highly placed sources told The Tribune that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had decided to expand the airport in the first phase from the current length of 1,372 metre to 1,900 metre. In the second phase, the length is proposed to be increased from 1,900 metre to 3,110 metre.

For the first phase of the expansion, the AAI will have to construct a bridge over the river. The proposal was initially mooted to either construct a bridge or to divert the river. IPH officials had declined the feasibility of diverting the river. The structure, strength and design of the bridge to be constructed over the river that can sustain the weight of the planes will now be given by the experts.

The Union Ministry for Finance had sanctioned Rs 400 crore for the expansion of the airport.