Mangaluru Airport runway expansion: Ivan D’Souza demands jobs, housing for displaced landowners

Mangaluru Airport runway expansion: Ivan D’Souza demands jobs, housing for displaced landowners

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sept 4, 2025: A decision has been taken to extend the runway of Mangaluru International Airport by 150 meters, for which the Airport Authority of India has requested the state government to provide 32.97 acres of land. Since the state government does not receive any revenue share from the airport, it has directed that the land acquisition costs should be borne by the Airport Authority and the contracted company, Adani. Accordingly, the authority has instructed Adani to bear the expenses.

Speaking at a press conference at the Mangaluru City Corporation office, Legislative Council member Ivan D’Souza said that the company must provide fair compensation, employment opportunities, and housing facilities for those losing their land. He added that when he raised this issue in the Legislative Council, the government replied that it had already written to the Airport Authority regarding the request for runway expansion.

Despite being the state’s second-largest international airport, Mangaluru Airport still faces several shortcomings, he pointed out. Poor lighting and adverse weather conditions often prevent smooth aircraft landings, and large Boeing aircraft do not operate to Mangaluru. The authority and the company must find solutions to these issues, he said.

D’Souza further noted that as Mangaluru is a tabletop airport, it faces unique challenges. As previously demanded, there is a need to construct a new airport on government land in Padubidri or Palimaru, which would benefit both Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. For this, Members of Parliament from both districts must exert pressure on the central government, he urged.

Approval for including Kudubi community in Scheduled Tribes list

For several years, there have been demands to recognize the Kudubi community, concentrated mainly in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Shivamogga, as a Scheduled Tribe. Recently, the state government’s Department of Backward Classes Welfare has granted approval to shift the Kudubi community from Category-1 to the Scheduled Tribes list. Now, MP Brijesh Chowta must press the central government to take the necessary steps, Ivan D’Souza said.

In 2015, the Karnataka State Tribal Research Institute, Mysuru, had commissioned the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) to conduct an ethnographic study of the Kudubi community. The study was completed and submitted to the government in 2021, recommending their inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes list. Based on this report, the state government has moved forward, he added.