[ad_1]
Port Blair, a popular destination for tourists and gateway to the islands of the Andaman and Nicobar, got a new integrated terminal building yesterday.
A part of the government’s vision to enhance connectivity infrastructure, the inauguration of the new integrated terminal building of Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair, will play a key role in boosting connectivity of the island UT and also help enhance tourism in the region.
According to an official PMO statement, it will also help create enhanced employment opportunities for the local community and also give fillip to the economy of the region.
Built at a cost of around INR 710 crore, the new terminal building will be capable of handling about 50 lakh passengers annually, with a total built up area of around 40,800 sqm.
The integrated building was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 10.30 am via video conferencing, in the presence of Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia and other senior officials.
Buoyed by the success of hosting nine G20 meetings, Goa now aims to showcase its ‘beyond just beach’ offerings, with a focus on infrastructure investments and exploring partnerships in new markets. In an exclusive interview with ETTravelWorld, Minister for Tourism, Govt of Goa, Rohan Khaunte shared that the state government is keen on boosting ties with other countries for enhanced air connectivity and keeping ‘quality over quantity’ in tourism.
“Apart from this airport, three additional airports in Shibpur, Car Nicobar, and Campbell, as well as four water aerodromes in Shaheed Dweep, Swaraj Dweep, and Port Blair, will be established by the Govt. of India with the investment of INR 150 crore. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are dedicated to the sewa, sushashan and garib kalyan. In the coming time, this airport will be the gateway to employment, education, and investment,” Scindia announced. Inspired from nature, the architectural design of the airport terminal resembles a shell shaped structure depicting sea and islands. The new airport terminal building has a number of sustainability features like Double Insulated Roofing System to reduce heat gain, skylights to provide maximum inlet of abundant natural sunlight during day time to reduce artificial light usage inside the building, LED lighting, low heat gain glazing.
An Apron suitable for two Boeing-767-400 and two Airbus-321 types of aircraft has also been constructed at Port Blair Airport at a cost of INR 80 crore, making the airport now suitable for parking of ten aircrafts at a time.
Rainwater catchment in an underground water tank, on-site sewage treatment plant with 100 per cent of treated wastewater reused for landscaping and a 500 KW capacity solar power plant are some other features of the terminal building ensuring minimal negative impact on the islands’ environment.
[ad_2]
Source link
