News
Work on Delhi’s second international airport to begin in August
Will be Asia’s biggest and world’s fourth largest
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN
Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, July 30: Delhi’s second international airport, known as the Noida International Airport (NIA), will enter the construction stage in August for its main terminal building and runway. They have to be completed within the next 25 months. Its deadline for launching commercial flights is September 29, 2024.It will be Asia’s biggest airport and the fourth largest in the world. The distance between the present Delhi airport and the NIA is 31km.
The building and the runway will be built by Tata Project Limited (TPL), which has been awarded the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for NIA.A spokesperson for Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), the special purpose vehicle of NIA concessionaire Zurich AG, said the terminal building and runway will be ready by the last quarter of 2024. The agreement has a stiff penalty clause of one million Indian rupees per day if the deadline is missed as per the agreement signed by the Government of Uttar Pradesh and Zurich AG.
NIA, which will become the second international airport in the National Capital Region (NCR) is meant to handle 12 million passengers annually. Besides the terminal building and the 3,900-metre-long runway, Tata Projects will also construct airside infrastructure, roads, utilities, landside facilities and other ancillary buildings.
The entire airport project is slated to be built over four phases by the end of 2061. By the end of the 40-year concession period of Zurich AG, there will be two terminal buildings and an equal number of runways. The airport master plan is prepared to accommodate the demand throughout the 40-year concession period with two runways.
The airport will open with a single runway and a terminal capacity to handle 12 million passengers per year. By the end of the concession in 2061, it will be developed with two parallel runways and additional terminal capacity to serve 70 million passengers, said the official.
The initial terminal building will cover 102,000 sqm. The second one is envisaged to be much bigger, about three times in size. The plan for the second runway accommodates a bigger strip of 4,150 metres. “We also plan to develop a ground transportation centre that will feature a multimodal transit hub, housing metro and high-speed rail stations, taxi, bus services and private parking,” the official added.
The UP government is still exploring options to connect the airport, which is in Jewar off the Yamuna Expressway, to Noida and Delhi. Metro is one of the options being explored.
In its first monthly report to NIAL, the state government’s special purpose vehicle to oversee and coordinate on the airport project, Engineers India Limited (EIL) has informed that construction of a support building has started at the airport site. Besides that, an 11kV capacity substation has also been set up at the site to meet the initial power requirement of the airport, officials said.
EIL has been appointed to oversee construction work of the airport. NIAL CEO Arun Vir Singh said: “The boundary wall work of the airport is almost complete. The airport is also expected to get an explosive licence by next month as fuel will be stored at the site.”
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
