A six-member team from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Thursday inspected a 950-acre land parcel spread over Kothagudem, Chunchupalli and Sujathanagar mandals of Bhadradri Kothagudem district as part of the site survey to assess the feasibility of setting up a greenfield airport near the coal town of Kothagudem.
Khammam MP Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy met the AAI team and apprised them of the advantages of having an airport in Kothagudem, an industrial city second only to Hyderabad in importance.
Bhadradri Kothagudem District Collector Jitesh V. Patil accompanied the team to the land parcel identified by the district administration for the airport. The team inspected maps of the identified land during their daylong survey of potential sites at Gareebpeta and other areas surrounding Kothagudem, according to sources.
During a meeting at the Integrated District Offices Complex (IDOC) later in the day, Mr. Raghuram Reddy highlighted the need for a greenfield airport in Kothagudem for connecting the coal town by air for boosting inter-State connectivity and economic growth in the region. Kothagudem MLA Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao and senior officials of government departments were present.
He said that the government has paid for a feasibility study and that they will provide the data required. “The State government will extend its full cooperation to ensure an airport in Kothagudem,” he said.
The district’s industrial corridor is dotted with major industrial units, including the State-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited, the Kothagudem Thermal Power Station, the Heavy Water Plant and the ITC Paperboards unit. Air connectivity to Kothagudem will also help boost eco and temple tourism in the district, which is home to the historic temple town of Bhadrachalam.
