Second Bengaluru Airport sparks public anxiety

Plans for constructing a second international airport near Bengaluru have caused unease among residents, especially farmers, in the identified regions. The Karnataka government has marked three potential locations—Kaggalipura on Kanakapura Road, Harohalli, and Chikkasoluru near the Nelamangala-Kunigal highway—for the new airport. Around 5,000 acres are expected to be acquired, raising fears of displacement and livelihood loss among locals.

Officials from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) have completed preliminary inspections but are yet to finalize the site. As a result, all development activities in the proposed zones have been temporarily halted. Farmers and residents, uncertain about their future, have paused agricultural activities, construction projects, and land investments.

The fear of losing ancestral lands has grown acute in villages like Chinnakurchi, Seegahalli, Uttari, Naganayakanahalli, and Choodahalli in Bengaluru South, and parts of Bidadi and Magadi in Ramanagara district. In these areas, the skyrocketing land prices—rising from ₹2 crore to over ₹4 crore per acre—have attracted real estate interest, but no transactions are taking place due to the uncertainty.

Despite a prior agreement with Kempegowda International Airport prohibiting new airports within a 150 km radius until 2033, the state is moving forward with land identification in anticipation of future demand. Industry Minister M.B. Patil stated that once a site is finalized, a detailed project report will be prepared in consultation with expert agencies, followed by land acquisition and compensation announcements. Residents now await clarity, facing the looming reality of leaving behind their homes, land, and livelihoods.