Jamshedpur, June 3: A 2km-long World War-II era abandoned airstrip, ample land and proximity to the steel city seems to have helped authorities zero in on Dhalbhumgarh as the site of a new airport for Jamshedpur, expected to be commissioned within the next three years.

Union minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha confirmed to the media at Circuit House today that Jamshedpur would have its own domestic airport at Dhalbhumgarh, barely a kilometre from NH-33 and 60km from the steel city, the decision based on a technical feasibility report submitted by a high-level team of Airport Authority of India (AAI).

"I have had a discussion with chief minister Raghubar Das and told him about the selection of the site. He has agreed in principal and has assured me that land would be transferred to the Union civil aviation ministry as soon as possible for beginning construction of the airport," he said.

Sinha said that an AAI team visited the two sites in contention, Chakulia and Dhalbhumgarh, both in Ghatshila sub-division of East Singhbhum district, in April. After studying land maps of both areas and considering several factors like connectivity and proximity to the highway, the team chose Dhalbhumgarh.

The minister, however, did not comment on why Gamharia in neighbouring Seraikela-Kharsawan district, another site that was being considered of late, was finally dropped.

"The decision to choose Dhalbhumgarh was based on AAI's technical feasibility report. The AAI team did not visit Gamharia. But I have been informed that more than 450 acre uninhabited land is available at Dhalbhumgarh along with a World War-II era airstrip of nearly 2km length. Also, the site is barely a kilometre from NH-33 (Jamshedpur-Baharagora)," Sinha said, adding that an airport would require 400 acres with a runaway of nearly 3km.

Jamshedpur MP Bidyut Baran Mahto, who has been a part of the negotiations on the site, said that land without human habitation helped clinch it for Dhalbhumgarh.

"There is ready availability of a 2km-long airstrip and there is no human habitation on 457 acres of land. The state government will soon initiate talks with the Union forest ministry for transfer of the land," he said.

The Union minister said that after the land was transferred to AAI, construction of a modern state-of-the-art airport could begin and completed in two years. The project would entail expenditure to the tune of Rs 300 crore.

Calcutta flights

Sinha said he hoped that air services between Jamshedpur and Calcutta, using aircraft that seat 18 or less, would commence from July.

"I had a talk with Air Deccan officials who had bid for the Jamshedpur-Calcutta route. They have agreed to start the service in July-August from the Tatas' Sonari aerodrome," the minister said.

Sonari aerodrome, owned by Tata Steel, is spread over 25 acres. But due to its short runaway, it cannot accommodate ATR-42 and ATR-72 aircraft.