Protest by villagers against Purandar airport project continues

PUNE More than 25 police personnel were injured on Friday during a violent clash with villagers in Pune’s Purandar tehsil, where tensions erupted over a drone survey for the proposed Purandar international airport project.

The incident occurred at Kumbharvalan, one of the seven villages where the district administration had scheduled a drone survey, out of the total 2,673 hectares of land identified for the airport. The other villages included Pargaon, Khanwadi, Ekhatpur, Munjwadi, Udachiwadi, and Vanpuri.

The protests continued on Saturday amid heavy police deployment, said officials.

According to officials, the situation escalated when villagers tried to block the survey team from entering the area.

Villagers blocked access roads with livestock and bullock carts to prevent officials from entering. In Kumbharvalan, a large gathering led to clashes, and a drone used for the survey was reportedly damaged.

Despite the resistance, the district administration managed to complete the drone survey in Ekhatpur village with the help of police.

Land acquisition officer Varsha Landge said two additional drones were arranged after the first was damaged.

“Eight days ago, notices about the drone survey were served to farmers. Most accepted them, and the remaining notices were displayed at the gram panchayat office. We also issued notices under Section 32(2) for land acquisition. Despite proper intimation, villagers damaged the drone. Legal action will be taken,” said Landge.

The proposed airport project has faced stiff opposition for years, with villagers alleging they were not consulted and accusing the government of moving ahead without their consent. All the seven gram panchayats have passed resolutions opposing the project.

Condemning the police action, NCP (SP) leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule said the use of force against villagers was “deeply unfortunate.”

In a post on X, Sule said, “The government should have acknowledged the sentiments of the citizens and taken appropriate, steps. The use of force is regrettable and disturbing. This could have been avoided with greater sensitivity and restraint.”

She added, “We strongly condemn the incident and urge the government to approach the issue with compassion and understanding. Public sentiment must be respected, and the matter handled with care and humanity.”

Meanwhile, villagers claimed, an elderly woman, Anjanabai Kamthe (87), a resident of Kumbharvalan, died due to the stress caused by the ongoing land acquisition process.

“My mother was opposed to the project, and she was under tremendous mental pressure over the land issue. She suffered a heart attack on Friday due to the tension,” said Sadashiv Mahadev Kamthe, her son.

However, Pune rural SP Pankaj Deshmukh told Hindustan Times, “The woman was not part of the agitation and died at her home. In this incident, over 25 police personnel were injured. The process to register a case is underway.”

On April 28, around 1,500 to 2,000 villagers, including many women and children, marched from Alpa Bachat Bhavan in Pune to the district collector’s office to protest against the airport project.