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himmat01 · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1392 Location: DEL

Post about Chennai upgradation or new Chennai airport may be posted here.

I feel that the state govt. should go in for a brand new airport because there is very little space for expansion unlike DEL.

This is because the state govt. is not in a postion to remove "unauthorized constructions" which occupy around 583 acres around MAA. Without the removal of these slums, there would be no space for a parallel runway. There is no point going in for a limited expansion which will be stretched within 10-15 years. The state govt. needs to plan for a new airport well in advance so that the work may start in next 2-3 years and the airport is operational within 5-6 years.

karatecatman · Guest

Himmat,

You are touching a raw nerve if you say slums.

That "dirty word" for developing India, does not apply to Chennai.
In the case of Chennai it is unauthorised construction on Government land, the result of corrupt officials and successive govts loooking the other way.

80% of the construction is what can be called as "pucca" housing with fairly well laid raods and row type housing.
Residents can't be blamed now as it forms a sizeable vote bank, the the Govt of the day realises this.
There are no slums of the Dharavi type --- of squalid poverty.

AKLDELNonstop · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1066 Location: Auckland

KCM,

However you choose to refer to them, at the end of the day they are still illegal constructions thats hampering development. While they may not be slums in the true sense, I dont see why they cant be dealt with in the same manner in which Mumbai govt is planning to deal with them. That is sell the land to developers who clear the land and build low cost housing for the original slum dwellers and give them the houses free. The rest of the land can be used to develop top end housing for the developer to make money. This has proven to be highly profitable, not to mention desirable.

Also now is the right time to start building/expanding the Chennai airport so that it will be ready in the next 5 years when the current one would have reached its capacity.

I guess HYD is probably one of the better planned cities in this aspect because the new airport is being constructed although Begumpet is not yet bursting unlike BLR.

Cheers
_________________
Geniuses are always misunderstood in their lifetimes.

himmat01 · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1392 Location: DEL

karatecatman · Guest

Himmat and AKL,
Hey! Haha. Not going to war over this with you two!!!

Forgot to add that when a politician went to the area affected and used the word "slum", he was lucky to escape with his life. Residents have formed an assocaition there to fight for their rights, and it's not as simple as AKL is making it out to be. Has become very emotional and may witness Singur-like scenes.
Many of the residents were even allotted pattas, so it's quite serious. Sensing the mood, you have people like ex-Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy lending support to residents and waving the "relevant documents" dug out from his days at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan.
So with the national and regional parties in this, the Govt. realises that any muscle power against the affected people could unsettle the Govt.
The present CM is currently on local "aam aadmi" mode; is in phase 2 of this, which involves distributing fallow land of 2 acres each to farmers of a certain criteria.
High handed tactics in Chennai, where the ruling party is not strong is the last thing the Govt of the day wants, especially after a very controversial local body poll that was terribly rigged in order to retain power.

Note: There is no question of knocking down huts or the like as 90% of the structures are brick, tiled roofing and "pucca" housing/rpw type housing with numbers and streets. Residents are middle class.

karatecatman · Guest

http://www.hindu.com/2006/12/20/stories/2006122005670600.htm
AAI launches portal to help passengers
Dec. 20, 2006

T.S. Shankar

It will provide information about departure and arrival of flights

CHENNAI: As part of its endeavour to reduce the waiting time of air passengers and visitors at the Chennai airport, a web portal (www.flightinformation.in) has been launched by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

According to Dinesh Kumar, Chennai Airport Director, the web portal will provide information regarding departure and arrival of flights of both international and domestic airlines operated out of Kamaraj Domestic Terminal (KDT) and Anna International Terminal (AIT). Passengers can access for getting information through this exclusive portal and also by sending the flight number through Short Message Service (SMS) to 6263. Subscribers of any mobile operator can access this service.

Other information:travel tips, weather report, calendar, and leading hotels in Chennai, list of tour operators and links to some of the other useful websites.
....

Excess baggage counter: The AAI, Mr. Kumar said, would shortly introduce a centralised excess baggage counter at the AIT.

The facility is being made available on behalf of the AAI by Esquire Express.

AKLDELNonstop · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1066 Location: Auckland

Hey KCM,

Not trying to goto war mate. Just trying to guage the situation as obviously you know more about the area than I do. And judging from your info it will be fairly hard to remove them. In which case they might as well look at a greenfield option for MAA.

Peace
_________________
Geniuses are always misunderstood in their lifetimes.

karatecatman · Guest

AKL, please don't ship me off to Christmas Island!!!
Laughing

karatecatman · Guest

A UNI report (Dec. 29) says that workers of Chennai Airport today have sought the intervention of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi over the alleged moves to privatise the airport, ’under the guise of modernisation’. CITU President M K Pandhe told the media after attending a meeting of the Airports Authorities of India employees forum, that the workers had already met Karunanidhi and urged him to stop the move to privatise the airport, the first in the country to receive the ISO certificate.
The Tamil Nadu government, Pandhe said, should refuse to cooperate with the Centre over privatisation moves, he said
CPI leader A B Bardhan and party MP Appadurai are among others who attended the conference.

himmat01 · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1392 Location: DEL

Union Govt has suggested expansion of Chennai airport.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/401200701091540.htm

himmat01 · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1392 Location: DEL

Tamil Nadu govt. has agreed to provide 700-800 acres of land for expansion of MAA.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/04/06/stories/2007040606791000.htm