With the airport, there will be enhanced connectivity for millions of people in Surguja and neighbouring districts of Chattisgarh.
On October 20, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the Maa Mahamaya Airport in Chhattisgarh’s Ambikapur city of Surguja district. With air connectivity launched for the first time in the state’s northern tribal belt, the airport will boost connectivity for people in Surguja and neighbouring districts, such as Jashpur, Surajpur, Balrampur, Korea, and Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur. Earlier, millions of people from these areas had to travel five-seven hours to Bilaspur or Raipur for air travel.
Coming to the Maa Mahamaya Airport, it is spread across 365 acres of land, and has been constructed at a cost of Rs 80 crore. For the starters, a 72-seater aircraft can land on its airstrip and the airport can handle 5 lakh passengers annually.
Along with PM Modi, who joined virtually, the inauguration event was attended by notable figures, including Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Governor Ramen Deka, and Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu. Calling it a historic moment, CM Sai said, “An eight-decade-old dream… has come true. It is a crucial step in integrating our tribal communities and remote areas into the mainstream of development,” adding, “This initiative is not just about facilitating air travel; it is a crucial step in integrating our tribal communities and remote areas into the mainstream of development.”
Since the Maa Mahamaya Airport brings the world closer to the remote tribal district of Surguja, it will certainly lead to improved opportunities for travel and commerce for the region’s inhabitants. With cost-effective and time-saving travel options, the residents of the area will now have direct connectivity to cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Jabalpur, Raipur, Jagdalpur, and Bilaspur. It means that local businesses of the district, such as handicrafts, cottage industries, and agricultural products, will now be able to reach across the country more efficiently.
More so, the new airport aims to create several employment opportunities for local entrepreneurs. Rajesh, an entrepreneur from Ambikapur, was quoted as saying by The Financial Express, “Now we can easily transport our products to other cities. Earlier, travelling by road was lengthy and expensive, but now we can send our local products directly to cities like Delhi and Kolkata.”
Not just an economic boost, the new airport is expected to give a push to tourism in the Surguja region, which is known for its beautiful valleys and attractions. One can visit the hill station of Manpur and the historic Ramgarh caves in the region, and with an airport in the region, Surguja’s appeal as a tourist destination might be amped up.
Meanwhile, the airstrip at Maa Mahamaya Airport was wrapped up under the Government of India’s Regional Connectivity Scheme, and it is currently a 3C VFR category airport. Apart from Chhattisgarh’s Surguja, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated two other airports as well, in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa and Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur.
