Rourkela: The State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Odisha in its 93rd meeting held today in Bhubaneswar granted Environmental Clearance (EC) for the up-gradation of Rourkela Airport (expansion case) adjacent to Sector-14, Rourkela Steel Township in Sundergarh District.
The SAIL – Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) is the owner of the airport and the development is to be carried out by Airport Authority of India Limited for civil operations and operate it for 3 years.
Keeping in view of the forthcoming Hockey Men’s World Cup at Rourkela, to be hosted by the Govt. of Odisha, it was decided in the month of Feb. 2021 to go for the up-gradation of Rourkela Airport from Code-2B to Code-3C for the operation of ATR-72/Q-400 type Aircrafts under RCS-UDAN Scheme.
The proposal involves extension and strengthening of Runway, construction of ATC Tower, provision of Taxiway and construction of prefabricated Terminal Building. The allied facilities proposed are additional utility building for housekeeping and support staff, construction of a new toilet block, utility vehicle shed etc.
The Term of Reference (ToR) for the project was issued by SEIAA on 22.08.2022 for undertaking detailed EIA studies. The EIA study has been carried out by collecting baseline data from December’2019 to March’ 2020 (winter season) & during June 2022 (15days). The TOR to the project has been granted with exemption from public hearing by SEIAA since the Rourkela airstrip is located inside the Notified Industrial Township of SAIL – Rourkela Steel Plant & there is no land acquisition, rehabilitation &/or resettlement issues & only internal demarcation of land use (from RSP Township to airport) is changing.
The estimated capital project cost is Rs. 50 Crore. The Project Proponent has earmarked a budgetary allocation of Capital Cost of Rs.8.5 crore and recurring cost of Rs 17.5 lakh/annuam for implementing the Environment Management Plan (EMP). The area of Rourkela airport is set to increase from existing 102 acres to 250 acres.
SEIAA while granting EC has stipulated a number of environmental conditions and safeguards for water and waste water generation and treatment, storm water control and rain water harvesting, solid waste disposal, 35% green belt, zero liquid discharge, traffic and transportation study measures, pollution mitigation measures, energy conservation measures, on-site and off-site emergency plan, disaster management plan, fire safety recommendations and few other specific conditions under Corporate Environment Responsibility.
The SEIAA meeting held under the chairmanship of Sri Sisir Kumar Ratho also approved grant of EC for mining of iron ore over 92.875 ha with production capacity of 2.95 MTPA (RoM) from Kalamang West (Northern Part) Iron Ore Mines at Kalamang and Ghodabudani villages in Sundergarh District and Gandalpada village in Keonjhar district by Tata Steels Limited and twelve storied 126 dwelling unit residential apartment by M/s Aryan Infrastructure Private Limited at Arakhakudaorapa mouza, Telengapenth under Cuttack Municipal Corporation with general and specific environmental conditions.
