91% Farmers Give Consent for Land Acquisition, Purandar Airport Project Gains Momentum
Pune, September 20, 2025: The proposed international airport at Purandar has received a major boost after 91% of farmers in the region submitted consent letters for land acquisition. As of the deadline on Thursday, September 18, 2025, 2,800 farmers agreed to part with nearly 2,700 acres, allowing the government to move forward with the acquisition process.
The land identified for the project spans seven villages: Paragaon, Kumbharvalan, Ekhatpur, Munjwadi, Khanwadi, Udachiwadi, and Vanpuri. Initially, the state government planned to acquire around 7,500 acres. However, due to opposition from local residents, the plan was scaled down to approximately 3,000 acres last month. The consent process officially began on August 25 and concluded on September 18.
Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi confirmed the update. “Within the given deadline, 2,800 farmers submitted consent letters, offering nearly 2,700 acres of land. Once the joint measurement is completed, land rates will be finalised, and lump sum compensation will be paid. Formal acquisition will follow,” Dudi said.
In addition to private land, about 200 acres of government-owned land in the same villages will be used, bringing the total available land to nearly 2,900 acres. Some farmers have requested an extension of the consent deadline, though no official announcement has been made yet.
As part of the rehabilitation package, farmers who voluntarily give up their land will receive developed plots equivalent to 10% of the land acquired from them in the upcoming Aero City, a planned urban zone adjacent to the airport. Around 700 acres have been reserved for this purpose. Farmers will also receive compensation at four times the prevailing market rate.
The proposed airport will require roughly 2,200 acres for infrastructure, including two runways, and officials have emphasised that this core requirement will not be compromised. With most of the required land now accounted for, the project has moved significantly closer to execution. This is a crucial step for a long-delayed infrastructure plan expected to ease air traffic congestion in Pune and boost regional development.
