The Uttar Pradesh government is set to acquire 200 hectares to relocate farmers displaced by the second phase of land acquisition for the Noida International Airport. Approximately 1,180 hectares will be acquired from farmers in six villages to develop an additional runway and Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility. This land includes 180 acres owned by the government. Two sites, Falaida Cut and Modalpur village, have been designated for resettling around 10,000 affected families—three times the 3,000 families moved in the first phase. The first phase required only 48 hectares for resettlement in Jewar Bangar. Recently, the additional district magistrate (land) formally requested approval to acquire 200 hectares for the new phase from the civil aviation department’s additional chief secretary. In 2022, the state government identified six villages for this phase and began a social impact assessment (SIA) in September 2023, with Gautam Buddha University handling the study. The report, completed in May and reviewed by a multi-agency panel, received state approval on October 16, allowing the district administration to engage with farmers and gain land acquisition consent. For the first airport phase, 1,334 hectares were already transferred to Zurich AG, and the airport is expected to be operational by April next year. For this second-phase rehabilitation, the state will source land from seven villages, including 63.9 hectares in Sadullapur (Modelpur) and 48 hectares in Karauli Bangar. However, some disputes have emerged: one group of farmers prefers the new township be built at Falaida Cut, about 30 km from the airport, while another group favors Modalpur, closer to Jewar Bangar. Additionally, the government has sanctioned an SIA for the third and fourth phases, which will impact 14 villages. (TOI)