Bokaro airport is brimming with activity for expanding its capacity under UDAN scheme; the construction work of runway has been started now, works are being carried out in full swing, informed RK Singh an official working at the site. “A technical team today rushed at Bokaro to take an account of ongoing work,” he added.

Recently, Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower was installed and now Bokaro airport is technically ready, said the official.  With the investment of Rs 8 crore, this ATC tower has been installed by AAI. It can be moved at any locations while its heights are also adjustable according to the requirements are the advantage of this tower, he said.

Some of the unauthorised slums adjacent to the Bokaro airport and removal of trees from inside of the airport area are the main barriers that have put a halt on the full expansion work of the airport. 

Notably, AAI has allotted works to the Jai Mata Di Construction, East India Construction Company and Creative Construction. Without cutting the trees civil work for the airport could not be started we are waiting for that, said an official of JMD. For expansion and development of the airport at least 6000 trees have to be axed while over 1000 tree would be transplanted.

About 1000 trees which girth (radios) is less than 7 inches would be transplanted at some other place and it does not need any kind of permission (for the transplantation), which is trapped in a tug of war between AAI, Forest Department and Bokaro Steel Plant Management.

Despite getting the nod to axed those trees, they are yet to decide who will axe the trees, who will sell the axed trees and who will pay for axing, sources said. The cutting of the trees has been done in two-phases, in the first phase, 4000 trees would be axed, informed an official.

But the district administration and Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) authority and other related departments will have to plant five trees for every tree would be felled, an official said.