Work on the Ballari airport has started with survey work for the construction of a greenfield project at Chaganur-Siravara villages. The state has reserved Rs.1.5 bn for the initial funding and around 900 acre has been earmarked for the project. The project was proposed in 2009 and has been a long-pending demand. The government could acquire only 700 acre out of the 900 acre of required land as the local farmers refused to give the remaining 200 acre of land. After trying the state government could manage to acquire only 160 of the balance land required. Farmers are against acquiring the remaining 40 acre. Amidst all this, the state government has begun work on the pre-construction phase.