The land acquisition process for the proposed Purandar International Airport in Maharashtra has run into resistance, with the Pune district administration receiving over 800 formal objections from villagers across seven affected villages. These submissions will now be individually reviewed in scheduled hearings in the coming weeks.
The objections come in response to a government notification issued in March 2025, declaring over 2,750 hectares of land鈥攕pread across 3,352 survey numbers in Vanpuri, Udachiwadi, Kumbharvalan, Ekhatpur, Munjwadi, Khanwadi, and Pargaon villages鈥攁s an 鈥業ndustrial Area鈥�. An additional 70 hectares will be acquired from the state forest department.
Earlier survey efforts were met with resistance, resulting in clashes between police and locals that left more than 25 police personnel and several villagers injured. The situation prompted a temporary halt to the survey to restore order.
鈥淲e are taking every objection seriously,鈥� said Varsha Landge, Purandar鈥檚 sub-divisional officer. 鈥淢any of these highlight valid concerns around displacement, inadequate compensation, and the loss of livelihood.鈥�
In response to mounting tension, Maharashtra鈥檚 revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule visited the region on 5 May and promised an open dialogue with residents. The state government has since appointed three land acquisition officers to oversee the next phase of the process鈥攖wo covering three villages each, and one dedicated to a single village.
Villagers continue to express unease over the project鈥檚 implications. 鈥淲e are not against development,鈥� said Ravindra Jagtap, a farmer from Khanwadi, 鈥渂ut it should not come at the cost of our land, identity, and generational livelihoods. Compensation cannot replace what we stand to lose.鈥�
The airport development plan, which requires the acquisition of nearly 2,674 hectares of land, aims to improve regional connectivity and boost Maharashtra鈥檚 infrastructure capacity. However, with objections pouring in, authorities must now navigate the legal, emotional, and socio-economic complexities that accompany such a major infrastructure undertaking.
