Centre invites proposal for airport near Mathura

The civil aviation ministry invited a proposal from the UP government to set up a new airport near Mathura days after Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav scrapped the Jewar airport. Yadav proposed setting up an international airport in the Agra-Mathura region instead. In a communique sent to Yadav last week, civil aviation minister Ajit Singh said the UP government had proposed Taj International Aviation Hub (TIAH) with a green field airport at Jewar in Gautambudh Nagar, which was around 70 km from the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi. Existing norms don’t allow two airports to be set up within 150 km. So, the Jewar airport could not be given the clearance. The Taj Trapezium needed a world class airport to boost tourism and economic and industrial growth in the area, said Singh. 
“The airport needs to be located near the Taj and at the same time there is no air space conflict with the Indian Air Force (IAF) airport at Agra,” he said. Singh suggested the airport be located in Mathura with an easy access to the expressway. He assured the UP chief minister that the project would be fast-tracked. 
Last month, the Mathura administration identified a site, around 300 acres in Baldeo village. It is located on the expressway between Agra and Mathura. Baldeo village, known as the birth place of Lord Krishna’s elder brother Balram, is located around 25 km from Mathura and Agra city. The site is also a little over 150 km from IGI Airport.