Ujjain airport upgrade: Ministry panel defers green nod, seeks environmental impact details

The Union Environment Ministry's expert appraisal committee (EAC) has postponed its decision on approving the proposal to upgrade and expand the Ujjain (Datana) airport, citing insufficient responses to public concerns, lack of a detailed faunal study, and an incomplete assessment of the project's impact on the local ecology. The EAC has requested additional details from Airports of India (AAI), the entity proposing the project, before further reviewing the proposal.

The Rs 250 crore project involves extending the existing runway to accommodate ATR-72 and Q400-type aircraft, constructing a new 4,060-sq m terminal, and building various airport facilities. The project was initiated by the Madhya Pradesh government in anticipation of the 2028 Simhasta Kumbh festival, scheduled to take place in Ujjain, the birthplace of MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. The state government owns the airstrip, which currently serves chartered flights.

During the EAC's October 30 appraisal meeting, several issues remained unaddressed, including compliance with Directorate General of Civil Aviation guidelines, the absence of Schedule-I species in the 10-km buffer zone, and stakeholder concerns about adequate compensation, approach roads, and access to agricultural land. The committee directed AAI to conduct a detailed fauna survey, submit a wildlife conservation plan, revise the Environmental Management Plan, and provide a compensatory tree plantation proposal.