Gujrat: Statue of Unity to soon get an airport ! In good news for tourists visiting the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, an airport facility is set to come up near the world’s tallest statue. There have been talks of providing railway and air connectivity to the site of the world’s tallest statue as people across India and the world have been visiting the place. So far, fliers need to book a flight to the Vadodara Airport (BDQ) in Baroda or fly to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad and then take bus or cab services to reach the 182-meter tall statue dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
A meeting was held between Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra in Gandhinagar on Tuesday to discuss the proposed project to build an airport facility near the Statue of Unity. The state government informed AAI, the nodal body for building aviation infrastructure, that the Narmada district administration has started the process of identifying and selecting the land in Rajpipla area to develop the airstrip, according to reports. Notably, the Statue of Unity is located on an islet Sadhu Bet near Sardar Sarovar Dam at Kevadia village in Narmada district. Rajpipla town, where the proposed airport will come up, is around 23 kilometres from Kevadia.
In November, the Gujarat government announced that there would be air and railway connectivity to the Statue of Unity to facilitate tourists. Back then it was decided that AAI would assist the state government in building an airport near the Statue of Unity. Apart from the airport, Rupani held a meeting with the Railway Board as well.
In December, President Ram Nath Kovind laid the foundation stone for the Kevadiya railway station. The railway station once it is ready, will provide easy train connectivity as it is located only 5 kilometres from the Statue of Unity.
The Statue of Unity is an engineering marvel and has already become a prime tourist destination in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it on October 31, 2018. Apart from the Statue of Unity, there are other attractions at the venue such as “Valley of Flowers”, “Wall of Unity”, “Museum and Exhibition Halls” and viewers’ gallery.