In the future, a new story of development can be written in the valleys of Kangra situated between the snowy peaks of Dhauladhar. Amidst the plans for expansion of Kangra Airport located at Gaggal, preparations to develop a modern aerocity around it have also intensified. If this project becomes a reality, tourists arriving in Kangra by air will be able to get world class tourism, accommodation, shopping and entertainment facilities in the vicinity of the airport. This can pave the way for developing Kangra not only as a major center of religious tourism but also as a major destination for modern tourism and investment.
About 65 hectares of land marked for the project
For this ambitious plan of the state government, about 65 hectares of land in three villages Jugehar, Bhadot and Bandi adjacent to Kangra Airport has been identified. The proposed Aerocity envisages developing a five-star hotel, state-of-the-art convention centre, shopping complex and modern entertainment facilities. In the initial process of this project, the Tourism Department has prepared the Social Impact Assessment survey and concept note through the administration and sent it to the Tourism Directorate.
From here the proposal is to be placed before the state government for final approval. After the approval of the government and the upcoming notification, the process related to detailed survey and acquisition of the land will proceed. According to preliminary estimates, around Rs 122.32 crore may be spent on land acquisition for this project. However, this is an initial assessment. The determination of the actual cost will become clear only after the detailed survey, condition of the land and completion of the acquisition process.
Tourism and business center will develop along with the airport
The concept of Aerocity is not limited to just building a few hotels and commercial buildings. Its objective is to develop a planned urban area around the airport where activities like tourism, hospitality, entertainment, business and conferences are available at one place. If the proposed facilities are developed as per the plan, then apart from tourists coming from India and abroad, business representatives, investors and people attending big events will also get better facilities.
The construction of the convention center will also increase the possibilities of organizing national and international level conferences, business events and tourism related programs in Kangra. This is expected to boost economic activities in local businesses, hotel industry, transportation, catering and other service sectors.
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Details of affected families will be collected from door to door
Before acquisition of the proposed land for Aerocity, a detailed survey will be conducted as part of social impact assessment. The survey team will go door-to-door in the marked area to collect information about how many families and people will be affected by the project. Along with this, residential houses, commercial shops, government properties and fertile agricultural land will also be assessed.
An important aspect of the survey will also be to assess the benefits to the people affected by the project along with the potential losses to them. Employment prospects for local youth, new business opportunities and infrastructure being developed in the area will also be included in the report.
Keeping the interests of the affected families in mind in the process of land acquisition and rehabilitation will be a major challenge of this project. Especially because the issue of land and displacement in the area has been in discussion regarding the old plan of expansion of Kangra Airport.
Before Aerocity, understand the complete story of Kangra Airport expansion
The expansion of Gaggal Airport is a long-proposed plan to increase air connectivity in Himachal Pradesh. As per the plan of the Airports Authority of India, the length of the existing runway is envisaged to be increased from approximately 1,372 meters to 3,010 meters. For this, expansion was planned in two phases.
It is proposed to extend the runway to 1,900 meters in the first phase and to 3,010 meters in the second phase. This expansion requires a large amount of land. The process of Social Impact Assessment for land acquisition was started in the year 2023 and Section 11 notification under the Land Acquisition Act was issued in July 2023.
Information about an amount of Rs 930 crore being approved for this project in the year 2024 was also revealed. In subsequent years, the process related to rehabilitation and resettlement scheme and land acquisition was taken forward. Now, by combining the Aerocity plan with the airport expansion, it becomes clear that the government is working towards developing Gaggal and the surrounding area as a major tourism and economic center in the future.
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Kangra Aerocity also mentioned in the government budget
In the budget for the year 2026-27, the state government has mentioned the plan to develop a new city named 'Kangra Aerocity' near Kangra Airport. It has been said in the budget that along with providing world class facilities to the tourists arriving in the tourism capital, planned development of the entire area around the airport will be ensured. That is, Aerocity is no longer just a concept of tourism facilities, but is a part of the government's announced development plans.
The issue of land acquisition and rehabilitation has already been critical for the expansion of Gaggal Airport. According to the information, rehabilitation and resettlement plan worth Rs 3,349 crore has been approved for airport expansion. The amount relates to airport expansion, different from Aerocity's initial land acquisition estimate of Rs 122.32 crore.
What is planned to be developed on 65 hectares of land?
Five star hotels and modern hospitality facilities.
State-of-the-art convention centre.
Large shopping complex.
Centers of entertainment and tourist activities.
Airport related commercial facilities.
Infrastructure for planned urban development.
Apart from religious tourism, the way for business tourism will also open.
Kangra district is already an important area of Himachal in terms of religious and natural tourism. Devotees from all over the country come to the temples of Maa Jwalamukhi, Maa Chamunda, Maa Bajreshwari and Maa Baglamukhi in the Shaktipeeths located here. Apart from this, the valleys of Dharamshala, McLeodganj, Bir-Billing, Palampur and Dhauladhar attract tourists. Despite this, there has been a great need in Kangra to expand the infrastructure required for international level hospitality facilities and large business events. The proposed Aerocity can play an important role in overcoming this shortage.
If both the airport expansion and Aerocity plans come to fruition, hotels, taxis, travel agencies, restaurants, local handicrafts and other businesses may also benefit from the increase in tourist traffic in Kangra.
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Will the question of employment or land become the biggest challenge for the local people?
The biggest question before this ambitious plan will be land acquisition and the interests of the local people. Even during the process of airport expansion, concerns of affected families and land owners have been coming to the fore. In such a situation, it will be important to see how the proposed 65 hectares of land for Aerocity is acquired.
Providing appropriate compensation, rehabilitation and employment opportunities to the local people will be essential for the acceptability of the project. If participation of local youth and businessmen is ensured in the scheme, then its benefits will not be limited only to big investors and the hotel industry.