Guwahati airport awaits ‘iconic’ building

GUWAHATI: The upcoming terminal building of Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport here will be the first ‘sustainable’ terminal of the North East, the Regional Executive Director of Airports Authority of India’s Northeast region, Sanjiv Jindal, said on Thursday. The terminal building will have a sewage treatment plant, solar power, rain water harvesting units, solid waste disposal system and energy efficient lighting, Jindal told reporters here. “It will be the most beautiful airport terminal building and an iconic building of the North East with 10 boarding bridges for passengers, 25 lifts, 10 elevators and two travelators,” he said. The new building will also house the first art and craft village of the country in the security hold area and a green forest/plantation area inside the terminal building. It will also be environment-friendly and conserve energy, he said. The construction work began from April 2018 and 30 per cent of the work has been completed so far. The work is expected be completed by April 2021, Jindal said. Around 3,000 people will get direct employment and approximately 20,000 people will get indirect employment once the project is completed, he said. Various companies such as Air India, SpiceJet, IndiGo, Go Air, Vistara, Air Asia India, Drukair and Pawan Hans operate to and from Guwahati at present. The airport handles more than 1,100 flights per week. (PTI)