Problems including local people’s fear of compulsory purchase of land around Mangalore airport, in India

Interesting story from around Mangalore airport, in south west India. It appears that villagers were persuaded some years ago to sell their land cheaply for the airport. They got little for it, and were moved to other land nearby at a place called Adyapady. One report from an Indian paper says: “Adyapady Padavu has nearly 400 houses rehabilitating the evacuees. There are Dalit families, Muslims as well as several families belonging to backward communities.” These people now live in poverty, and don’t even have proper road access. Back in February there were reports of surveyors coming to the land adjacent to the airport boundary, perhaps to see about heights of trees. People feared they were coming to assess compulsory purchase of the land to expand the airport. Local people refused the surveyors access and they were forced to leave. A local Indian paper says: “It is also learnt that the surveyor had threatened to cancel the ration cards and other facilities of those who opposed the survey.”  And “The locals have claimed that they have been facing many problems due to the Airport Authority which they say has been negligent of the issues and problems faced by them.”
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Mangalore 

Location of Mangalore in south west India

 

Adyapady villagers resist airport officials plans to cut trees in airport vicinity

 February 14th, 2013

airport vicinity

Mangalore : On February 13, Wednesday, residents of Adyapady near the Mangalore airport at Bajpe took the airport authority officials to task and sent them away after suspecting that they had come to earmark land for acquisition.

The villagers complained that  a village accountant and an horticultural official has been visiting the place since some time giving room for suspicion. It is believed that the airport officials intended to cut some high trees in the area as they might prove dangerous  in close vicinity of the airport.

The officials who arrived on Wednesday were sent back after villagers took them to task. Villagers also alleged that the airport officials in order to shoo away birds and animals from entering the runway were using fireworks frequently and many times threw the crackers to the neighboring compound.

The villager also said the airport officials raised objection whenever they noticed any thick smole in the vicinity, on the grounds that the smoke affected the flights. They also alleged the airport authorities neglected the problems faced by them due to the airport.

http://www.megamedianews.in/index.php/85363/adyapady-villagers-resist-airport-officials-plans-to-cut-trees-in-airport-vicinity/

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Mangalore: Adyapady residents stop airport officials from surveying land

Pics: Brijesh Garodi

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (BG)

Mangalore, Feb 13th 2013

The residents of Adyapady on Wednesday February 13 protested against the Mangalore Airport Authority for conducting survey for land acquisition forcibly and without issuing notices beforehand.

The locals claim that since three months, three people identified as a surveyor; horticultural officer, and village accountant, have been visiting the area with the intention of surveying the land for acquisition by the airport.

At first, these three officials had informed the locals that they had to survey the land about 60 meters from the boundaries of the airport. On their second visit, they allegedly claimed that they wanted to undertake a survey as there were trees rising more than 7 meters within 65 meters from the airport walls.

The locals had even lodged an online complaint to the deputy commissioner (DC) and submitted a memorandum with the signatures of 65 people, but no response was received. Instead, the officials paid a third visit without any intimation.

During their latest visit on Wednesday, they fixed the prices of certain trees and arrived with the intention of cutting them off. Angered by this sudden and surprise move by the Airports Authority, the locals gathered during the visit and forcibly stopped them from conducting the survey.

It is also learnt that the surveyor had threatened to cancel the ration cards and other facilities of those who opposed the survey. Sensing that the situation was getting out of hand, the surveyor, village accountant, and the horticultural officer called in the airport officials to the spot. Three airport officials including Jayaram and a civil engineer visited the spot to collect information.

However, the officials had to return empty-handed as they could do nothing to appease the protestors.

The locals have claimed that they have been facing many problems due to the Airport Authority which they say has been negligent of the issues and problems faced by them.

In order to chase away birds and animals, crackers are used by the security staff at the airport and these are sometimes thrown into the neighbouring compound posing great danger of fire if they accidently fall on dry grass.

They also claimed that the security staff also raise their voice at the locals if they find any thick smoke coming out of any house, either from inside the house or when waste is being burnt. The Airport Authority has been only focusing on development and widening but the locals have been completely neglected, they claim.

A new emergency gate has been constructed near Adyapady School, but residents of the surrounding area have complained that the place where the gate is constructed is a private land. They questioned how the gate could be constructed on a private property.

Joseph Pinto, Walter, K Rama, and Surekha were among the locals who shared their grievances with  Daijiworld.

and there are a lot of comments under the article, many much more moderate and reasonable than comments under articles in the UK media …

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=164028

Land to be acquired.

 

Private land alongside the airport, which the airport wants to expand onto.

And there are many more photos at

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=164028

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Earlier:

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Unending woes of airport expansion project evacuees

 Mar 23rd, 2012 (The Canara Times, the Mangalore English language paper).

MANGALORE: The travails of the residents of the Adyapady rehabilitation colony of the Mangalore airport expansion project evacuees, is unexplainable. The residents are even deprived of adequate public transportation facilities even as the aircrafts hovered over their heads up in the skies frequently.

Yes, it is a matter of happiness that the Bajpe airport has been upgraded and daily as many as 13 flights take off and land here. There are direct flights even to the Gulf. But, the tragedy is that the several poor families who had sacrificed their valuable land for this project are today struggling for want of basic amenities. These people who once relied on Bajpe suffer in the absence of good roads and public transport system.

Adyapady Padavu has nearly 400 houses rehabilitating the evacuees. There are Dalit families, Muslims as well as several families belonging to backward communities.

“Those who had acres of land had to vacate them for jus Rs 350 per cent. We too had one acre land and now after it was acquired for a paltry amount, we are struggling in a five cents land,” says Sunil, a resident of the locality.

“The land we are residing at present was a cattle grazing land (Gomala) earlier. We were given land here, but are deprived of even the basic amenities. As a road was closed to facilitate the airport expansion, today Bajpe is nearly eight kms away for us who could otherwise reach the place through the now closed road by traversing just two kms,” he adds.

“As the road in our area is in dire straits there are not even enough buses to go to Bajpe via Unila or Kenjar. In case of urgency we are left with no option but to take an autorickshaw by paying Rs 150 during day and as much as Rs 180 during night time. We do not ask for anything more but good roads and bus facilities,” says Shivaram, another local resident.

As most of the residents of Adyapady are labourers, they rely on Mangalore for jobs etc. Only a limited number of buses (route no. 22, 47) pass through this route and it takes exactly one and a half hours to reach the city from here.

Though the place has a primary health centre, its doors are rarely opened. Even the streetlights are not burning. The road from Kenjar to Adyapady is in such a horrific state that even two-wheeler riders are dreading to use this road. The bad state of the road is also leading to accidents Last month, a bike ride had died after he came under a lorry here. Not just that , almost all bike riders who use this road, have suffered falls at one time or the other !

False promise by Palemar : About three months ago, residents of Adyapady had decided to stage a protest against the local administration and the authorities by boycotting the public contact meeting. But, Palemar who was then the minister had rushed to the area, a day in advance and promised that their problems would soon be a thing of past as Rs 12 crore grant has been released. A local resident who informed this said Palemar not only abstained from the meeting next day, but has not even set foot into this place which he is representing.

http://thecanaratimes.com/epaper/index.php/archives/15612

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Indian airports
http://www.prokerala.com/maps/india/india-airport-map.html
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