Stop at Shiroli-Chandoos villages in Khed taluka of Pune district and the fear and uncertainty over the likely loss of inherited farm land and their known way of living comes across loud and clear. Unlike in some other villages, also in Khed taluka, where land is being acquired quite peacefully and with full support of the farmers for Bharat Forge’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ), snuffing out the agrarian way of living is not going to be easy here.

Bhivraj Dhavale (48), a farmer in Shiroli who along with his brothers own 15 acres, is a disturbed man. These days, he has another job. Along with other villagers, he keeps vigil at the local barber shop, on the look out for any government officer who might come down to begin the land acquisition process.

“We do not want to give up our lands and we do not want money for it,” says Dhavale while other villagers nod in agreement. Most of them grow vegetables to cater to Pune city’s demands and are happy making around Rs 10,000 a month. And with many of the youngsters going for technical education and working in nearby Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) units, bringing in extra money, their lives have never been better.

Their decision not to vacate the land has been conveyed to the tehsil office and they have threatened to agitate if the authorities proceed regardless. With 2,351 hectares to be acquired from seven villages in Chakan for the proposed airport, the villagers are an aggrieved lot and are already in protest mode. They know about Nandigram and know what farmers can achieve. Meanwhile, the countdown has started for these farmers as the MIDC, on behalf of the state government, has issued a notice to begin the land acquisition procedure.

Unlike in the case of the SEZ where only uncultivable land is being acquired, the farmers fear there will be no such consideration in the case of the proposed greenfield airport, work for which is expected to commence in 2010-11and which is scheduled to be operational by 2016.

When contacted, MIDC CEO Rajiv Jalota said that although MIDC has notified the land for acquisition, cultivable land will not be acquired. “It’s up to the district officers now to do the talking,” he said. According to Khed SDO, Gajanan Patil, the staff is yet to meet the people and talk to them.

But the farmers know what is in store and are not buying this argument as they feel airport land will have to be contiguous and the lay of the land in these villages will not allow it unless cultivable land too gets acquired.

The farmers have a reason to feel agitated as prime cultivable land in the region fetches anywhere between Rs 60-70 lakh an acre and goes up to Rs 1.5 crore depending on its proximity to the main road. Against this, they’re well aware that the MIDC acquisition for the Bharat Forge SEZ is being done at Rs 7 lakh an acre, though for non-cultivable land.

Land prices have been skyrocketing in Chakan over the past one year with apartments mushrooming all over the place that fetch around Rs 2,000 per sq ft. Against this, just a year back, the rates for residential units were Rs 600-700 per sq ft. And the commercial units are being sold at Rs 6,000 per sq ft — on par with the residential rates ruling in upmarket areas like Koregaon Park.

While the international airport is a definite lure, Chakan already has much going for it. Surrounded by industrial estates in Talegaon, Chakan and Rajgurunagar, the region is like a commune of multinationals — JCB, General Motors, Daimler Chrysler, International Truck and Engines Corporation, and Volkswagen make for a powerful portfolio. Add to that home brand Tata Motors and you have a full house. Then there are the SEZs planned in the region — by Mahindra & Mahindra and Bharat Forge.

With such development taking place all around them, the villagers realise it’ll be a folly to give up their land easily, and they are ready to opt for violent methods to stop the acquisition. Come 2008 and Chakan threatens to be one potential boiling point.