GREATER NOIDA: The ambitious heliport project of Greater Noida, hanging fire for several years, is raring for the takeoff. A team of aviation experts from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), along with RITES, the project’s technical consultant, and officials of GNIDA conducted a site inspection of the proposed project on Thursday. While the team seemed satisfied with the site for the heliport, a formal approval and NOC for the project could come within a week.
GNIDA officials said, a formal application seeking clearance for the proposed project was submitted to DGCA in June this year. “Once we have the NOC from DGCA, we will invite a Request for Proposal from technically qualified consultants to put the project in place,” said Deepak Agarwal, CEO, GNIDA. “All other modalities and logistics have been worked out and are in place for the project. This is a step forward for the project, which is on the UP CM’s list of priorities,” he said.
Agarwal further said that GNIDA was also proceeding with getting an Environment Impact Assessment done for the project. “We are also addressing a public hearing by Pollution Control Board in setting up the project so that we can get the board’s clearance, too,” he explained.
The Rs 50-crore heliport is proposed to be constructed on a 22-acre open area in Safipur village, located along the Noida-Greater Noida expressway near the Gautam Budh University. A detailed project report for the heliport has already been approved, along with an NOC from the UP irrigation department. An additional 15-acre land has also been reserved for future expansion of the aviation project,” said Agarwal.
“The project will be developed on PPP model. Once the work on the project commences, it will be in place two years after construction starts,” he explained.