Call to relocate proposed airport from Himachal’s Balh to Jahu area of Mandi dist gains momentum
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The Newz Radar
Mandi: The call to relocate the proposed international airport from Balh to Jahú area of Mandi district, has once again gained momentum in Mandi.
On Friday, a delegation led by Munish Sharma, zila parishad member from Sarkaghat who also contested last assembly election as an independent candidate from Sarkaghat, submitted a petition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through Mandi Deputy Commissioner Apurv Devgan, with signatures of thousands of people, advocating for the construction of an airport in Jahú, instead of Balh, a cause championed by former CM Jairam Thakur as his dream project.
Following the submission, Sharma, while speaking to media persons, highlighted the vast expanse of unused land in Jahú and the prolonged demand for an airport in the area. Over a period of 77 days, he engaged with the residents of over 300 villages to garner their support, collecting their signatures.
“Geographically situated at the heart of Himachal Pradesh, Jahú serves as the focal point for three districts – Mandi, Hamirpur, and Bilaspur. The region’s climatic suitability and availability of vast land make it an ideal location for airport construction, with the potential to build an airport at a fraction of the cost compared to Balh,” he urged adding that additionally connecting Jahú to the Kiratpur-Manali four-lane road via a tunnel could significantly reduce the distance between Jahú and Balh to a mere 10-12 kilometers. Moreover, establishing a rail link to this region is also feasible, he suggested.
“This area is suitable for airport construction according to the climate, and there is ample land available here for the construction of a major airstrip, making it possible to build an airport within a quarter of the budget compared to Balh,” he stressed.
Sharma said that Balh is often referred to as “mini Punjab” due to its significant production of vegetables and other cash crops. However, the region faces adverse conditions such as fog and floods during the winter season.
The construction of an airport here would not only result in the loss of fertile land but also necessitate the displacement of nearly 10,000 residents. With only 14.86% of land in Himachal Pradesh suitable for agriculture, the rationale behind constructing an airport in this area is highly questionable. Furthermore, the farmers in Balh are also not prepared for land acquisition and there has been a lot of resentment among the locals there.
