The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the expansion of Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi, at a cost of about Rs 2,870 crore, said Union Information & Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during a briefing on Wednesday.
The proposal includes extending the runway and building a new terminal building. "The estimated financial outgo will be Rs 2869.65 crore for enhancing the passenger handling capacity of the airport to 9.9 million passengers per annum (MPPA) from the existing 3.9 MPPA," according to an official statement.
The new terminal building, which encompasses an area of 75,000 sqm is designed for a capacity of 6 MPPA and for handling 5000 peak hour passengers (PHP). "It is designed to offer a glimpse of the vast cultural heritage of the city," the statement read.
The proposal includes extending the runway to dimensions 4075m x 45m and constructing a new Apron to park 20 aircraft. Varanasi airport will be developed as a green airport with the primary objective of ensuring environmental sustainability through energy optimization, waste recycling, carbon footprint reduction, solar energy utilization, and incorporation of natural daylighting, alongside other sustainable measures throughout the planning, development, and operational stages.
Besides the airport, the Cabinet also approved setting up a major port at Vadhavan near Dahanu in Maharastra.
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