Media Release
Mangaluru, Aug 8: Mangaluru International Airport Limited (MIA) takes note of the protest held outside Mangaluru International Airport on Saturday, August 8, by 21 members of Bajpe Town panchayat and MLA Umanath Kotian regarding the stormwater drainage and flooding issues in areas surrounding the airport.
MIAL would like to place the following facts on record to clarify the airport’s position and responsibilities in relation to the issue. Mangaluru International Airport is operated by MIA under the concession agreement with the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
Under the master plan forming part of the concession agreement, the airport boundary and the respective responsibilities of the airport operator are clearly defined. MIA’s responsibility is primarily confined to the infrastructure, drainage systems and operations within the airport premises.
The drainage and flood-mitigation infrastructure required outside the airport boundary falls within the jurisdiction of the respective government departments and local authorities. Further, under the regulatory framework of the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA), an airport operator cannot recover through airport tariffs the cost of civil infrastructure projects undertaken outside the airport premises, as such expenditure is not related to the operation, maintenance or development of the airport.
MIA has, however, not remained indifferent to the concerns of residents and local authorities regarding stormwater drainage in the surrounding areas.
Recognising the long-standing nature of the issue, and based on the recommendation of the Dakshina Kannada District Administration, MIA commissioned the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal, in 2024 to undertake a comprehensive technical assessment of the stormwater drainage challenges around the airport.
The Department of Water Resources and Ocean Engineering, NITK, subsequently prepared a 100-plus-page technical report titled Hydrological Assessment of Sub-Watersheds Around Mangaluru International Airport. The study examined the hydrological conditions and recommended measures to facilitate the discharge of stormwater from the airport drainage network into the Gurupura River through an external drainage system.
The recommendations of the NITK study provide a technically assessed pathway towards addressing the issue. However, implementation of the proposed external drainage system—including land acquisition, construction of drainage channels and associated infrastructure outside the airport boundary—requires action by the competent government authorities and local bodies.
MIA reiterates that it is willing to provide all necessary technical information, assistance and coordination to the District Administration, local authorities and other concerned government agencies for implementation of the recommendations of the NITK study.
The airport also wishes to clarify that its position should not be construed as a reluctance to address the concerns of the local community. MIA has already taken steps within its jurisdiction and has proactively facilitated an independent technical assessment of the larger drainage issue. The sustainable resolution of the problem, however, requires coordinated action by all concerned agencies, particularly for infrastructure located outside the airport premises.
MIA remains committed to working constructively with the Dakshina Kannada district administration, Bajpe Town panchayat, elected representatives and other stakeholders in the larger public interest. The airport will continue to extend its technical and operational cooperation towards finding a sustainable, long-term solution to the stormwater drainage and flooding concerns in the surrounding areas.