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Maharashtra: Soon, seaplanes will give wings to Ramtek, Pench tourism

In 2017, PM Modi had travelled from Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad to Dharoi Dam by a seaplane

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The long wait for seaplane facilities in Maharashtra may soon end with the state government short-listing two sites — the Erai Dam at Chandrapur and the Khindsi Lake near Nagpur for these projects.

Senior officials from the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC), which is the nodal agency for the project, said the Khindsi lake could cater to tourists who visit Ramtek, which has archaeological, religious and historical importance, the Pench tiger project and Nagpur. The service to Chandrapur, will provide the industrial township, which is known for its power plants, coal mines and paper mills, with an airhead.

"We already have a seaplane policy and have asked our consultants to study the two sites at Chandrapur and Nagpur for their feasibility. Seaplanes require steady waters and cannot operate at sites where water levels deplete," said Suresh Kakani, managing director of the MADC.

Kakani added the study was being undertaken in collaboration with the Airports Authority of India (AAI). "The report is expected in a month... later, we will decide if the project will be developed by the government or through private parties," he explained.

Kakani added that they would create facilities for amphibious planes, which are fixed-wing aircraft, that can take off and land on water. These facilities would include a terminal building, jetty, ATC tower, and related infrastructure at these two water aerodromes. Despite multiple plans and announcements, seaplane services have not taken off in a commercially sustainable manner.

PREVIOUS TESTS

In 2017, PM Modi had travelled from Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad to Dharoi Dam by a seaplane 
Trials were also conducted at sites in Mumbai
A private company had also launched seaplane services from Pune to Nashik in 2015

Earlier, the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) had proposed seaplanes on routes like Nagzira- Chandrapur- Nagpur, Sironcha- Aheri, Gadchiroli- Nagpur and Gondia- Bhandara- Nagpur for better inland connectivity and to boost tourism and industrial investments in Vidarbha. A 2016 state government consultation paper on tourism policy had also spoken about seaplane services between Girgaum Chowpatty and Juhu airport. The MADC also plans to establish greenfield airports at Boramani in Solapur and at Chandrapur. While the existing airport at Chandrapur is facing hurdles in operations due to the presence of the Chandrapur super thermal power project and transmission lines, the land is being acquired for a Greenfield airport, which is expected to be completed by the end of the 2020-21 financial year. Around 70% of the 840-acre land has been acquired. The runway will be 2,000 metres long and will later be extended to 3,000 metres.

Maharashtra has around 29 airports and airstrips, the highest in India. However, only a few of these like Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Shirdi and Nashik, are commercially operational.

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