The Arunachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board in collaboration with the Papum Pare district administration on Tuesday conducted the public hearing for Greenfield Hollongi Airport at the Patila Government Middle School ground here. The hearing was conducted under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner Dr Joram Beda.
Dr Beda appreciated the public for their enthusiastic participation and said that every State capital of the country except Itanagar is connected through an airport and it is a dream of not only the residents of Hollongi but that every single citizen of the state to have an airport in the capital.
“To turn this dream into reality we must give our full support,” he said. The DC also informed the public that environmental and forest clearance are two important procedures for setting up an airport or any other big projects as per the guidelines of the Central government.
Responding to the public queries he also informed that environmental public hearing is purely for environmental clearance and for land acquisition related matters the district administration would conduct a separate hearing in the near future.
Airport Authority of India, North Eastern Region general manager, D S Gariya gave a brief presentation about the project focusing on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environment Management Plan (EMP).
He also clarified the concerns raised by project affected public and said that coming up of airport project will not only change the socio-economic status of the region but there will be growth in the tourism sector as well.
Meanwhile, Land Affected Forum secretary Licha Taji, the project affected families and public expressed their full support and welcomed the project whole heartedly in the interest and development of the State.
During the public hearing, various issues related to environment impacts were discussed.