Patna: Plans to develop an airport in Bhagalpur have gathered pace after Bihar’s civil aviation department sought detailed technical and administrative reports from the district authorities before commissioning a pre-feasibility study.
In a letter to the district administration, Dr Nilesh Ramchandra Devre, secretary of the state’s civil aviation department, requested a comprehensive set of documents to enable a thorough technical examination of the proposed site. The district magistrate has been asked to inspect the land identified for the project and submit the required information to facilitate further assessment.
Officials have sought precise geographical details of the site in accordance with the WGS-84 coordinate system, along with a revenue map clearly marking the relevant Khasra numbers. A separate sketch map outlining the size, boundaries and dimensions of the land has also been requested.
In addition, the department has asked for an authenticated map from the Survey of India and 10 years of weather data from the India Meteorological Department to evaluate climatic conditions. Altogether, seven categories of technical and administrative reports are to be compiled and submitted.
Officials indicated that the findings of these reports will determine whether the proposed airport at Bhagalpur is technically and commercially feasible. If the assessment proves satisfactory, the project could move to the next stage of planning and approvals.
The renewed correspondence has revived expectations locally that the long-pending proposal could eventually bring air connectivity to Bhagalpur, a key city in eastern Bihar.
