Delayed Planning

Nagaland cannot afford to treat the future of Dimapur Airport as merely an expansion exercise. The more fundamental question is whether the existing site can, in the long run, support a genuinely modern airport capable of meeting the State’s aviation needs. If the answer is ultimately no because of its geographical, drainage and topographical constraints, the State Government must begin planning an alternative site now, with Singrijan in Chümoukedima district deserving serious technical and feasibility examination. The warning signs surrounding Dimapur Airport are not new. The airport is situated in a low-lying area and has repeatedly faced waterlogging during heavy rainfall. Government records have acknowledged that the runway is vulnerable to inundation and that backflow from the Chathe River is among the drainage concerns. In August 2026, flight operations were again disrupted after heavy rainfall inundated the runway. The airport director himself described its low-lying location as a factor contributing to the vulnerability. At the same time, expansion is becoming increasingly dependent on acquiring additional land, overcoming encroachments and modifying land around a site whose physical limitations cannot simply be wished away. A 2025 court proceeding recorded the requirement for additional land to meet safety standards and extend the runway, while also noting the existing displacement of part of the runway and the operational limitations created by terrain. The recent transfer of 18.8 acres from the Assam Rifles for Phase-I development is certainly significant. However, this should not be mistaken for a permanent solution to every structural limitation of the airport. The case for Singrijan is not merely about contingency planning; it is about strategic foresight. Dimapur’s airport, nestled in a congested valley, faces structural limitations that cannot be wished away. If Singrijan is found suitable for a Greenfield airport , after rigorous aviation, environmental, geological, meteorological and economic studies, the State should reserve and protect the land well before announcing a major project. The logic is straightforward. Once roads, commercial establishments, residential colonies and other structures spread into the area, acquisition becomes exponentially more expensive and socially contentious. Delay today could therefore translate into enormous compensation liabilities tomorrow. Every year of procrastination compounds the problem. Land rates are rising steadily, driven by urban expansion and speculative investment. Structures-residential, commercial, agricultural are multiplying. If the state government delays acquisition, it will face exponential compensation demands in the future. What might cost 500 crore today could swell to2,000 crore in five years, burdening taxpayers and diverting funds from education, health, and infrastructure. The State does not necessarily have to abandon Dimapur Airport. It should continue necessary safety and capacity improvements while simultaneously commissioning a comprehensive feasibility study for Singrijan or any other technically suitable alternative. This is not an either-or proposition. It is prudent long-term planning. Nagaland has already experienced the consequences of delayed decisions on airport land. It should not repeat the cycle on an even larger scale. The State Government therefore has a strategic choice before it. It can continue managing constraints around an increasingly difficult site, or it can begin securing the foundations of Nagaland’s next aviation gateway. The ball is firmly in its court. What is required now is not another round of assurances, but a clear decision, backed by technical studies, land planning and a long-term aviation master plan. Otherwise, what begins as the gradual decline of an airport could eventually become the gradual decline of Nagaland’s air connectivity itself.