Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, also known as Sonegaon Airport, is the airport located in Nagpur, Maharashtra. It handles over a million passengers, 14,500 aircraft movements and handles 9,000 tons of cargo per year. Looking at the increasing passenger and economic prospect of the region, an expansion plan on a total area of about 1,295 hectares was proposed [1] in 2005 by the Government of Maharashtra. It is part of Multi-modal International Hub Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN), as a major international passenger and cargo hub. |
An expansion plan on a total area of about 1,295 hectares was proposed in 2005 by the Government of Maharashtra. A Special Economic Zone (SEZ) has been developed along with the airport.
Description:
Basic Data
| Name of conflict: | Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport MIHAN Project, MH, India |
| Country: | India |
| State or province: | Maharashtra |
| Location of conflict: | Village: Shivangaon, Sonegaon; Nagpur |
| Accuracy of location | HIGH (Local level) |
Source of Conflict
| Type of conflict. 1st level: | Infrastructure and Built Environment |
| Type of conflict. 2nd level: | Urban development conflicts Ports and airport projects Land acquisition conflicts |
| Specific commodities: | Land |
Project Details and Actors
| Project details | Sonegaon Airport handles over a million passengers, 14,500 aircraft movements and handles 9,000 tons of cargo per year. Looking at the increasing passenger and economic prospect of the region, an expansion plan on a total area of about 1,295 hectares was proposed [1]. It is part of Multi-modal International Hub Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN). A Special Economic Zone (SEZ) has been developed along with the airport. The project is being executed by Mihan India Ltd (MIL), a joint venture of Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MDAC) and Airports Authority of India (AAI) [1, 4] |
| Project area: | 4,354 |
| Level of Investment for the conflictive project | $ 115,630,285.56 (Rs7billion) |
| Type of population | Rural |
| Affected Population: | 50,000-60,000 |
| Start of the conflict: | 2005 |
| Company names or state enterprises: | Mihan India Ltd (MIHAN) from India - Executor Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) from India - Joint Venture, Executor Airports Authority of India (AAI) from India Kirloskar Consultants Limited from India - Lead Contractors, Designers, Architects and Engineers Nagarjuna Construction Limited (NCC) from India - Lead Contractors, Designers, Architects and Engineers SPAN Consultants from Netherlands - Lead Contractors, Designers, Architects and Engineers PBA Sadbhav Joint Venture, from India - Lead Contractors, Designers, Architects and Engineers Consulting Engineers Group Ltd. - Lead Contractors, Designers, Architects and Engineers Afcons Infrastructure Limited from India - Lead Contractors, Designers, Architects and Engineers PBA Infrastructure from India - Lead Contractors, Designers, Architects and Engineers Mott MacDonald from India Jyoti Structures Limited from India - Lead Contractors, Designers, Architects and Engineers Larsen & Toubro (ECC Division) (L&T) from India - Lead Contractors, Designers, Architects and Engineers Shapoorji Pallonji & Company Limited from India - Lead Contractors, Designers, Architects and Engineers Prasad Associates from India - Lead Contractors, Designers, Architects and Engineers Yeses Infrastructure from India - Lead Contractors, Designers, Architects and Engineers |
| Relevant government actors: | Government of Maharashtra Government of India Indian Army |
| Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available: | Local Villagers Transnational Institute (http://www.tni.org/) |
Conflict & Mobilization
| Intensity | MEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization) |
| Groups mobilizing: | Farmers Local ejos Landless peasants Neighbours/citizens/communities Social movements |
| Forms of mobilization: | Development of a network/collective action Official complaint letters and petitions Public campaigns Strikes Hunger strikes and self immolation They adopted a unique form of protest, in 2007 all adult male shaved their heads. Then about 90 women also shaved their head. (According to the report by Praful Bidwai in http://www.tni.org/article/case-against-nagpur-airport-project) This is an extraordinary move signifying the distress of widowhood in a traditional Hindu family [1]. In January 2008, displaced farmers gathered in large numbers along with their cattle, demanding rehabilitation. They protested along with their cattle because cattle are their only source of livelihood (Source: http://www.andhranews.net/India/2008/January/11-Displaced-Nagpur-farmers-29335.asp#ixzz3BTsYXftD) |
Impacts
| Environmental Impacts | Visible: Food insecurity (crop damage), Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation Potential: Air pollution, Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Soil contamination, Deforestation and loss of vegetation cover, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality, Groundwater pollution or depletion, Large-scale disturbance of hydro and geological systems, Reduced ecological / hydrological connectivity |
| Socio-economical Impacts | Visible: Displacement, Loss of livelihood, Land dispossession, Loss of landscape/sense of place Potential: Loss of traditional knowledge/practices/cultures, Specific impacts on women |
Outcome
| Project Status | In operation |
| Conflict outcome / response: | Compensation Land demarcation Migration/displacement Negotiated alternative solution Strengthening of participation |
| Proposal and development of alternatives: | Nagpur is a small city comparative to other Indian cities. It is estimated that Nagpur’s traffic is about half the level of Guwahati, Goa or Jaipur. So it is quite irrational to increase the Airport’s passenger and cargo handling capacity. It is also speculated that the airport will not be a profitable project. The people are questioning the government’s motive in putting stress on such an irrational project. They are determined to resist any expansion plan and even plan to commit suicide if the project is not stopped [1]. |
| Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?: | No |
| Briefly explain: | According to villagers, MIHAN started construction even the environmental clearance was pending. The company started land acquisition process without any necessary clearances from the government [1]. The project will eliminate several villages and render their people landless. They are depended on agricultural and cattle products. There is not proper rehabilitation or compensation package offered. Some people of the affected villages are willing to sell their land, but at market value, so that they can find alternative plots to earn a livelihood. The government offered very small amount below the present market for the willing farmers [1]. |
Sources & Materials
| Juridical relevant texts related to the conflict (laws, legislations, EIAs, etc) |
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| Related media links to videos, campaigns, social network |
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Meta information
| Contributor: | Swapan Kumar Patra |
| Last update | 18/08/2019 |
| Conflict ID: | 1521 |
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