A door-to-door survey is set to begin Monday across 14 villages in Jewar tehsil. The goal is to evaluate the social and economic impact of land acquisition. This evaluation is for the third and fourth phases of the Noida International Airport, as reported by The Economic Times.
The proposed expansion includes the construction of two additional runways. It also involves the development of a global aerospace manufacturing hub across 2,053 hectares. Of this, 1,857 hectares are privately owned and will be acquired from villagers, officials said.
The survey will assess how the acquisition affects landholdings, livelihoods, residences, public utilities, and shared community resources. Forty-nine teams will conduct it. These teams comprise officials from the Gautam Budh Nagar district administration and the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA).
Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate Manish Verma said the survey will be conducted under Section 16 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. It is expected to conclude by June 15.
The findings will support the creation of a draft Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) Scheme, said Sub-Divisional Magistrate Abhay Singh. The scheme will define the entitlements of affected families. This includes both landowners and landless residents. It will also detail the infrastructure and amenities to be provided at the resettlement sites.
The draft scheme will be made public to gather objections and suggestions in a formal hearing. After incorporating feedback, it will be submitted to the district collector and later to the commissioner for final approval.
Once approved, a formal declaration of the resettlement area will be made. If not already completed, a detailed survey of the land will follow to demarcate and measure the plots. The final award for land acquisition must be issued within 12 months of the declaration.
The district collector will determine the land’s market value and calculate the compensation accordingly. An additional solatium of 100% of the determined compensation will be included, as mandated by law. The acquisition process will conclude with agreements signed between the landowners and the state government.
The third and fourth phases of the airport project will result in the displacement of an estimated 8,400 families from the following villages: Thora, Neemka Shahjahanpur, Khwajpur, Ramner, Kishorepur, Banwaribas, Parohi, Muqimpur Shivara, Jewar Bangar, Sabauta Mustafabad, Ahmedpur Chaurauli, Dayanatpur, Bankapur, and Rohi. These figures were established through a social impact assessment (SIA) conducted by Gautam Buddha University and approved by the Uttar Pradesh government in January.
The ongoing construction of the airport is divided into four phases. The first phase covers 1,334 hectares and includes a runway, terminal building, and air traffic control tower. The second phase spans 1,365 hectares and will house a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hub and other aviation-related facilities.
In March, the Uttar Pradesh government announced a revised compensation. The compensation is ₹4,300 per square meter for land acquired in the third and fourth phases. This rate marks a 40% increase from the ₹3,100 per square meter offered in phase two. During phase one, the compensation stood at ₹2,100 per square meter.
The state civil aviation department recently issued a notification. It affirmed that displaced families will be resettled in areas equipped with basic civic amenities. These include roads, water supply, electricity, and sewerage systems. The areas will also have community centers, schools, hospitals, parks, and religious institutions like temples and mosques. This is in accordance with the social and cultural backgrounds of the affected population.
The Noida International Airport project, once completed, is expected to position western Uttar Pradesh as a major aviation hub. It will also serve as an aerospace manufacturing center. This development will have significant economic and infrastructural implications.