Noida Airport proj delayed; daily ₹10L penalty imposed
Noida: The development of Noida International Airport Phase-III faces challenges due to land disputes, leading Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) and the Gautam Budh Nagar district administration to take action against unauthorised construction near the airport site.
According to officials, landowners are carrying out construction activities expecting compensation for structures, despite authorities’ promises of fair compensation. YEIDA plans to acquire 2,053 hectares across 14 villages for the third phase. A senior YEIDA officer revealed that notices have been issued to approximately 100 landowners regarding illegal activities, with demolition permits obtained. “The authority will soon take demolition action against those who refuse to remove unauthorised structures. The initiative is scheduled to commence next week. It was initially planned for Thursday but postponed to Monday owing to unforeseen circumstances,” the senior officer said.
Teams have been formed to monitor and prevent illegal construction in Jewar villages, including Neemka, Thora, Banwari Bas, Mukimpur Shivara, Kishorepur, and Ramner.
YEIDA CEO Arun Vir Singh asserted that unauthorised construction would not be permitted on land designated for Asia’s largest airport.
The third and fourth phases require relocating about 9,500 farmers. Officials have promised appropriate compensation at set rates, including payment for permanent structures.
The administration has implemented strict measures to stop unlawful activities on the designated airport land.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has directed the airport concessionaire to ensure domestic flights begin from May 15 and international operations from June 25. This came after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed concerns about construction delays during a review meeting.
The project is delayed by six months, with the original September 29, 2024 deadline moved to April 2025. Officials confirmed daily penalties of Rs 10 lakh on concessionaire YIAPL as per the CM’s instructions. The penalty, starting from January 1, following a three-month grace period post-original deadline, totals Rs 3 crore monthly. “The concession agreement was signed in October 2020, which experienced setbacks during the Covid period. The construction contract was awarded to Tata Projects in June 2022. A daily penalty of Rs 10 lakh has been enforced as per UP government directives,” said CEO Singh.
Currently, 8,000 workers are on-site, with plans to accelerate work using additional labour, equipment, and subcontracting. NIAL has asked YIAPL for a recovery plan to meet the revised timeline.
