The international airport project at Purandar in Pune, Maharashtra, is now set to be completed by February 2024. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had identified an alternate site, comprising seven villages in Purandar and three in Baramati.
The state government has submitted the proposal for the Centre’s approval and the airport is expected to become operational in under three years.
The previous government had approved moving the project to Purandar in October 2016, after attempts to acquire land in Khed failed due to protests by landowners.
The then government had expected the airport to become operational by late 2020, before officials’ efforts were affected by protests from landowners from seven villages namely Pargaon, Udachiwadi, Munjwadi, Ekhatpuri, Khanauri, Vanpuri and Kumbharvan.
The areas to be now covered include Mavadi, Pimpri, Rajuri, Naygaon, Rise, Pise and Pandeshwar villages.
Moreover, approvals were awaited from various ministries, including defence. It had taken more than a year for the previous site to be approved.