On Wednesday (November 2), Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the naming of Greenfield Airport at Hollongi, in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh as Donyi Polo Airport.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is developing a greenfield airport in Itanagar with the aid of the Centre and the state government at an expense of Rs 646 crore.
The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the naming of the greenfield airport as ‘Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar,’ according to an official release.
The Arunachal Pradesh government passed a resolution naming the airport ‘Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar.’ It reflects the people’s reverence for the Sun (Donyi) and the Moon (Polo) to symbolize the state’s traditions and rich cultural heritage,’ according to the press release.
Modi government’s decision to name the airport Donyi Polo after the religious and cultural heritage of Arunachal Pradesh will certainly not go well with the left-liberal ecosystem which has always blamed the Modi government for honouring indigenous traditions and native sentiments.
Interestingly, Arunachal Pradesh’s local media has already been using the Donyi Polo name ever since the proposal for its naming came up for consideration.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari took to Twitter to inform about the naming of Donyi Polo Airport. “Towards the Progress of North East India. Today’s Cabinet chaired by PM Shri @/narendramodi Ji approved the naming of the Greenfield Airport at Hollongi, Itanagar, in Arunachal Pradesh as Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar,” he tweeted.
In another Tweet he wrote, “Symbolising the traditions and rich cultural heritage of the State, the name reflects the Arunachal people’s reverence of the Sun (Donyi) and the Moon (Polo).”
Symbolizing the traditions and rich cultural heritage of the State, the name reflects the Arunachal people’s reverence of the Sun (Donyi) and the Moon (Polo).#CabinetDecisions
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) November 2, 2022
In January 2019, the central government accorded ‘in-principle‘ approval for the development of the Greenfield Airport.
The greenfield airport, with a 2,300-metre runway, would be the first in Arunachal Pradesh to be capable of landing huge aircraft. The airport which is the state’s third after Pasighat and Tezu covers an area of 4,100 square meters. Donyi Polo is the 16th airport in northeast India.
Notably, the AAI undertook the airport development project to improve air connectivity in the mountainous state as the airport holds strategic significance. IndiGo’s Airbus A320 successfully completed a test landing at Donyi Polo airport. During peak hours, the Donyi Polo airport, which has eight check-in counters, can accommodate up to 200 passengers.
The Government of India devised a Greenfield Airports Policy in 2008, which outlines the guidelines, procedures, and conditions for the establishment of new Greenfield Airports in the country. The Government of India has given ‘in-principle’ approval for the establishment of 21 Greenfield Airports across the country under the Greenfield Airports Policy. As of now, there are 15 operational airports in the northeastern region which are Guwahati, Silchar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tezpur, Lilalabari, and Rupsi (Assam), Tezu and Pasighat (Arunachal Pradesh), Agartala (Tripura), Imphal (Manipur), Shillong (Meghalaya), Dimapur (Nagaland), Lengpui (Mizoram) and Pakyong (Sikkim).
