Proposed green field in Doloo under Assam's Cachar district gets nod by civil aviation ministry

Digital Desk: The Union Ministry of Civil Aviations' Steering Committee for Green Field Airports has officially recommended "site clearance" for the proposed green field airport in Doloo under the Cachar district in Assam, bringing the project one step closer to realizing its goal of bringing about a remarkable connectivity transformation in Barak Valley.

Taking to X, CM Sarma wrote, "I am happy to share that the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Steering Committee for Green Field Airports has formally recommended “Site Clearance” for the proposed green field airport in Doloo, Cachar District. Under the Greenfield Airport Policy, establishing a new airport is broadly a two-stage process - site clearance followed by in-principle approval. With this decision of the Steering Committee, we are now one step closer to ushering a remarkable connectivity transformation in Barak Valley".

The steering committee of the Union Civil Aviation Ministry has recommended site permission for a proposed greenfield airport in Doloo, which is located in the Cachar district. This recommendation represents a significant advancement in the development of aviation infrastructure in Assam. This action complies with the Greenfield Airports (GFA) Policy of the Government of India, which delineates the protocols and prerequisites for the establishment of novel airports around the country.

In order to establish an airport at Doloo T.E., Cachar, Assam, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had applied for "Site-Clearance" under the GFA Policy, 2008, to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). Before being presented to the steering committee, the plan went through a comprehensive assessment process that included discussions with important parties like the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

This programme forms part of a larger attempt to improve air connectivity between regions, especially in the North Eastern Region, using programs such as UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), which was introduced on October 21, 2016. The program seeks to lower the cost of air travel and increase public accessibility. Several airports in the North Eastern Region, such as Pakyong and Itanagar (Hollongi), have already been built and put into service under UDAN, helping to achieve the overarching objective of tying together underserved areas and promoting economic development.

The Doloo airport's site clearance proposal is evidence of the continued dedication to growing India's aviation network, offering fresh chances for connection, and promoting regional development.