Madhya Pradesh: Indore's Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport Becomes Country's First Zero-Waste Airport

The airport's 3000 sq ft material recovery facility was inaugurated by Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu.

Indore: In yet another achievement for Indore, the country's cleanest city in Madhya Pradesh, the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport in the city officially became the first zero-waste airport in the country on Sunday as Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu inaugurated the massive 3000 sq ft material recovery facility here.

The union minister also announced to increase the capacity of Indore airport from 40 lakh to 90 lakh passengers annually in the next 3 years.

Naidu, who inaugurated the waste segregation facility at the airport, also inaugurated the new air traffic control tower which has been built at a cost of Rs 55 crore.

The material recovery facility boasts of a comprehensive waste management system which will recycle garbage from both the aircraft and the airport with the wet waste converted into fertilizer. The airport's zero-waste initiative is based on the 4R concept: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Restore.

Earlier, the Indore Airport had to pay to the Municipal Corporation for disposal of waste. But after the construction of the plant, the airport will not only have an in-house waste segregation plant, but will also earn revenue from it in the coming days.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, the union minister said that the ministry plans to increase the connectivity of Indore airport with many countries including Thailand and the US and increase the capacity to 90 lakh annually.

''For this, talks are being held with many airlines. A long air strip will also be needed to land big planes at Indore airport. Therefore, discussions have been held with the state government for this,'' he said.