By IANS,
New Delhi : Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Tuesday instructed the GMR consortium that is modernising the airport here to make ample provision for disaster management services and ensure a standby electric sub-station.
Dikshit Tuesday visited the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport to inspect the renovated international departure and arrival areas, the soon to be commissioned third runaway and the upcoming Terminal III.
Former chief secretary Ramesh Narayanswami, who is now the special advisor for the Commonwealth Games, as also officials of the Public Works Department (PWD), the Delhi Transco Limited and the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) accompanied her.
She also instructed PWD and DJB to complete their assigned works on schedule.
“The PWD has assured that the drainage work assigned to it would be completed and integrated with the works GMR has already constructed,” a Delhi government spokesperson said.
Dikshit also exhorted the agencies concerned to expedite connectivity projects that will open five new routes to the airport.
These five routes are the Dwarka circle underpass, the northern access via the Dwarka circle, the northern underpass, the Mahipalpur underpass and the southern access via the Dwarka express link.
The chief minister was informed that a 4.5 km long, 75-metre wide third runway is almost ready and its final trials would be conducted August 21.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has already completed its inspection of the new runway’s ground lighting system and its perimeter road works, while work on its sub-station is 96 percent complete.
The Terminal-III would be able to handle 37 million passengers per year and it would be completed within 37 months.
“Dikshit was also informed that air traffic decongestion at Delhi would continue for another three months till simultaneous operation of the three runways stabilises,” the spokesperson added.
Phase-IA of the airports modernisation would be completed this year. This will include refurbishment of the international terminal, expansion of the domestic arrival terminal, development of a new domestic departure terminal, commissioning of the third runway and commissioning of new taxiways, fire stations and associated infrastructure.
Phase-IB would be completed by 2010. This will include the new terminal, additional aerobridges and remote parking bays, escalators, lifts, multi-level car parking and bus parking and a high speed dedicated Delhi Metro line.
“The airport will be able to handle 60 million passengers per annum by 2010,” the spokesperson added.