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Once a farmland, now making way for an aviation hub: Life in transition near Jewar airport
Nearly two years ago, Usha Kushwaha (32) shifted to Gautam Buddha Nagar's Jewar from Madhya Pradesh's Tikamgarh district, along with her husband Ramesh Kushwaha and their two children — a son and a daughter. A relative had informed them of a boost in employment opportunities near the under-construction Jewar airport.
'There were not many people here when we came… but now there are so many. My husband works at the airport site. It is good money… better than what we had when he (Ramesh) earlier sold vegetables,' says Usha as she moves to cuddle her son, a toddler.
In the scorching heat of a summer afternoon, along the dusty roads of Kishorpur village in Jewar, around 30 sweat-soaked labourers walk in queues, clutching their worn-out cloth bags as they make their way to the upcoming Noida International Airport.
Trucks loaded with iron rods and concrete move past. On either side of the dusty and dilapidated road, there is a makeshift market and a colony occupied by labourers, where life is in transition. What was once a vast agricultural land is now transforming into an aviation hub.
Tushar Baghel, 21, a labourer at the airport site and a resident of Kishorpur, says he earns Rs 17,000 a month. 'They deduct my provident fund also,' he says, taking off his yellow helmet. He joined the site after a contractor informed him about the requirement for labourers. 'I joined about three months ago. I carry iron rods from one place to another,' he says.
While some have managed to secure jobs, people like Dharmendra Baghel (48) have also found an opportunity to earn by renting their houses to labourers. Pointing to his four-storeyed house, he says, 'Around 21 labourers are staying here with their families. Many of them are from Bihar and Jharkhand. Some of them are also from Lucknow and Kanpur. They have been here and working for two years. I charge them Rs 2,500 per room.'
Meanwhile, the Gautam Buddha Nagar administration began a door-to-door survey from June 2 to study the impact on landholdings, livelihoods, homes, and community resources in 14 villages that will be acquired for the expansion of Noida International Airport in the third and fourth phases. These 14 villages are Thora, Neemka Shahjahanpur, Khwajpur, Ramner, Kishorpur, Banwaribas, Parohi, Muqimpur Shivara, Jewar Bangar, Sabauta Mustafabad, Ahmedpur Chaurauli, Dayanatpur, Bankapur, and Rohi.
While the foundation stone of the airport was laid in November 2021, the first and second phases of the land acquisition were completed between 2018 and 2024.
When contacted, Abhay Singh, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Jewar, asserts the area will see rapid development once the land is allocated to Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA). 'Those who have been allotted the land will begin the construction, and it is only then that we will see newer developments,' Singh tells The Indian Express.
The SDM says that their work is just to carry out the acquisition of the land. 'The land acquisition for Kishorpur is currently ongoing. The entire village will be displaced in the third phase and will be shifted to an area that is still being identified,' he says.
Asked if the property rates have seen a significant increase since the announcement of the airport, he replies, 'Very much'.
On being asked about the census, he underlines that the administration is collecting the details of people who will be displaced during the third and fourth phases.
'The draft of the rehabilitation and resettlement will be prepared on that basis. A public hearing will be conducted once the draft is published and will take into consideration the objections raised in the hearing, which will be reviewed by the committee formed at the district. Around 10,000 to 12,000 people will likely lose their houses in the third phase, and Kishorpur is the one nearest to the site,' he adds.
As the rehabilitation dates inch closer, Yogesh Baghel, 28, a farmer, says, 'We used to carry out farming here. Now, instead of our fields, we see the boundary line. We cannot even go to the place which was once ours. The boundary has limited our world.'
Suresh, 55, who goes by a single name, says three generations of his family have lived in the area. 'Last Monday, the officials came for a survey. Everything has changed. Initially, we had thought that our lands might not go. People fought cases. Some people got jobs at the airport. Officials have told us that they will settle us within three years from now,' he says.
Neetika Jha is a Correspondent with The Indian Express. She covers crime, health, environment as well as stories of human interest, in Noida, Ghaziabad and western UP. When not on the field she is probably working on another story idea. On weekends, she loves to read fiction over a cup of coffee. The Thursday Murder club, Yellow Face and Before the Coffee Gets Cold were her recent favourites. She loves her garden as much as she loves her job. She is an alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. ... Read More
