Dabolim airport was a civilian airport during Portuguese rule and there are records to prove that it continued to be one after Goa was liberated in December 1961.
The Indian Navy has held on to the airport after liberation citing strategic reasons. However, with the completion of the ultra modern naval base at Karwar, the raison d’être of holding on to Dabolim airport by the Navy has ceased. The Seabird naval base at Karwar is hardly a hundred kilometres from Dabolim. In these days of jet fighters with supersonic speed, the Navy can jolly well let go of Dabolim and relocate to Karwar.
That would be a grand gesture on its part and would be appreciated by the people of Goa. Dabolim airport is congested and needs more land for modernisation and expansion. If the Navy were to leave Dabolim, the land that would be freed would be available for this. Experts have opined that closing down of the naval base at Dabolim and relocation to the ultra modern Seabird naval base at Karwar would not compromise on security.
Secondly, such a gesture would render the need to have a second airport at Mopa, totally unnecessary. With Dabolim airport centrally located between north and south Goa, its continuance and upgradation is urgently required. With land being freed for the expansion and development of infrastructure of Dabolim airport, the Mopa airport project would die a natural death.
Let Goans be under no illusions. If the Mopa airport project were to see the light of day, one can be certain that Dabolim airport would be shut down in due time. Our politicians’ assurances to the contrary cannot and should not be trusted.
It’s time Goans unitedly submitted a petition to the central government to advise the Navy to relocate from Dabolim. Let’s not treat Dabolim as a holy cow of the Navy.
