Purandar Airport Update: Over 3,200 Farmers Give Consent, Demand Stronger Support

Pune, 1st December 2025: The proposed international airport at Purandar will require over 3,000 acres of land from nearby villages, prompting major concerns from small and marginal farmers who are surrendering their land for the project. While the state government has assured compensation and begun taking undertakings from affected landowners, farmers say the benefits must reflect their actual losses.

The project spans seven villages in Purandar taluka — Kumbharvalan, Pargaon, Vanpuri, Udachiwadi, Ekhatpur, Munjwadi and Khanwadi. Land acquisition procedures have been underway for the past few months. According to district officials, surveys in all seven villages have been completed, and 3,200 farmers have consented to part with 2,810 acres of land.

Additionally, another 240 hectares is expected to be acquired with local cooperation.

The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation’s (MIDC) 2019 rehabilitation policy offers a return of 10% of the acquired land to farmers. Many landholders support the policy, but say more must be done to protect families whose livelihood depends entirely on agriculture.

A delegation of farmers recently met District Collector Jitendra Dudi and submitted a charter of demands. They argued that while investors who purchased land cheaply in recent years will also receive the same 10% return, original farmers stand to lose homes as well as farmland, leaving them without shelter or a source of income. They insisted farmers losing their residences should receive more land than investors to offset higher losses.

The farmers further requested fair market compensation for their land. They proposed that 25% of the compensation amount be mandatorily deposited in nationalized banks with the highest available interest rate to ensure long-term financial security.

They were also advised to consider purchasing agricultural land elsewhere in Purandar taluka using compensation funds, with support from loan facilities currently available through Federal Bank and other financial institutions.

Additionally, farmers stressed the need for permanent income-support measures for affected families and demanded life insurance coverage at minimal premiums for those whose land is acquired for the airport project.