Gaggal residents protest airport expansion move

Dharamsala, January 25

The residents of Gaggal area today carried out a protest march against the expansion of Gaggal airport. They took out the march carrying black flags and raising slogans against the government.

The protesters alleged that government was not registering the objections they had filed against the expansion of Gaggal airport. They alleged that the technical feasibility report of the bridge that has to be constructed over Manji river was yet to be approved. Still, the government has started the process of land acquisition. The people of the area would be evicted from their land and houses through land acquisition process. However, if Airports Authority of India later finds out that the bridge to be constructed over Manjhi river was not feasible that people would face harassment in getting back their land.

The people of Gaggal area alleged that since many of them were being evicted for the second time in their lifetime the compensation for their land should be in proportion to that. Many Gaggal residents had settled here after they were evicted from Pong Dam area due to construction of Pong Dam lake.

About 2,500 families will be uprooted due to the expansion of Gaggal airport.