The airport at Pune is a national shame. It is emblematic of all that is wrong with the government and its apathy towards citizen convenience and respect for cities that give back so much to Brand India. What is worse, is everyone knows what the problem is and hopefully solutions are also in sight, but no one, in the past many years, has done anything about it. The apologists blame the defence services as this is a defence airport and the citizens keep clamouring for a better airport.
In this day and age, to ask for a decent airport, which doesn’t smell like a public urinal, is not too much. It is equally clear that in its present avatar, you will have to raze the airport to the ground if you want anything even half decent to replace it. Speak to any citizen in Pune about their airport and they oscillate between anger and despair. Such is the state of our country that even citizens’ despair doesn’t egg people to change the way things are.
Many cities began with defence airports and then slowly realised the stranglehold it created. They then began creating airports which were modern and had no extraneous control. Till this day, Goa reels under the fact that it is a defence airport, but then GMR is building a new airport in Goa, which should hopefully be ready by the end of 2022.
And for God’s sake, we are in 2022 and not in 1950, where we even need to ponder about the advantages of a world-class airport. It is tragic that Pune which is home to some of India’s most respected and admired companies, not to mention the innumerable academic institutions it boasts of, has been unable to push for a decent airport. The problem here is not merely political, but equally that of an unwilling bureaucracy or perhaps a slothful one at that. I am amazed that Pune’s distinguished citizens such as the Bajajs, Poonawalas, Babas and Firodias have been unable to exert pressure.
Equally baffling is the fact the Pune (and Baramati) is the bastion of the Pawar family, one which has its roots in this area. Sharad Pawar has shown India what political will is all about and today Baramati is a star in this constellation. So if Baramati can be this shining star, how difficult would it be for the Central government to take up this issue with gravity and seriousness?
All cities in India deserve great infrastructure and that’s a non-sequitur. But some deserve it more and with greater urgency and Pune is one of them. You have people coming to this city from all over the world. Luxury car brands are based here, as are our large automotive and defence companies. Some of India’s best real estate projects dot the Pune skyline, but what is even more critical, with an eye to the future, is the number of students who study in this city. It would be ironic to sell them the India of the future when even a basic facility like an airport is missing. How would you ever portray seriousness of intent to make India world-class if one of your major cities faces continuous air turbulence? This is something that the powers-that-be need to consider and then address. Time is of the essence.
Suhel Seth is the managing partner of Counselage India. He tweets as @suhelseth. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
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