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Coast Guard plans separate airfield

Photo: T. Singaravelou

on a mission: Collector G. Theva Neethi Dhas flagging off a motorcycle rally in Puducherry on Friday. —

PUDUCHERRY: The Coast Guard has sought 50 acres of land from the Tamil Nadu government to establish a separate airfield for the maritime agency near the Puducherry Airport.

“We have approached the Tamil Nadu government in this regard very recently,” Commandant Arun Saxena, Commanding Officer, Coast Guard, Station Puducherry said shortly after flagging off a motor cycle rally by the CG personnel.

The airfield has been planned to shift its air operations from Chennai to Puducherry as its agreement with the Navy to use their airstrip for services was coming to a close, he said.

As of now the plan was to have a strip for the “rotary wing” to launch helicopters and another runway for aircraft operation, besides other facilities, including hangar and technical division, he added.On the land acquisition process to expand the Coast Guard station here, Commandant Saxena said the territorial administration had issued a notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, adding that in the first phase, a total of 18 acres would be acquired.

The administration had promised to complete the land acquisition process by six months, he said.

The Coast Guard on Friday morning accorded a warm reception to the members of their motor cycle expedition team, ‘Kanya Kol,’ at its station in Ariyankuppam. Local MLA P.K.R. Anantharaman received them. After a short stay, the expedition was flagged off by Collector G. Theva Neethi Dhas from Gandhi Statue on the Beach Road to proceed to Chennai.

Commandant Saxena said the team started their journey from Kanyakumari on Tuesday and before reaching Puducherry had stops at Mandapam and Tuticorin.

He said they would visit Coast Guard stations along the east coast and other places before winding up the expedition at Kolkata. The expedition, an annual event of Coast Guard, was aimed at creating awareness of coastal cleanliness and safe marine environment, he said.

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