Officials from the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Maharashtra government visited the proposed international airport site at Navi Mumbai on Thursday. The consultants appointed by the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra and a technical team accompanied the officials.
“The intention of the visit was to explore some of the suggestions made by the Expert Appraisal Committee [EAC],” Principal Secretary to the Urban Development Department T.C. Benjamin told The Hindu .
Protecting ecology
He said an amicable solution was in sight. “The Maharashtra government is willing to go the extra mile with the Ministry of Environment and Forests to preserve the ecology of that region. We are carefully studying if we can shift or diminish the land earmarked there for non-aeronautical purposes.”
The official, however, noted: “All the aeronautically mandatory instructions cannot be tampered with.” These included aspects such as the orientation of the runway, and its alignment and length.
On loss of mangroves, he said the government was seriously looking into preservation or regeneration of the mangroves that would be lost in the process. The State government had invited members of the EAC so that they could look at the problems and the possible solutions.
“The EAC is expected to meet some time in the last week of this month to decide on the further course of action. We have asked our technical team to prepare a convincing presentation, assuring the EAC that the present alignment of the proposed airport is accurately arrived at,” Mr. Benjamin said.
Chavan to lead delegation
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan is set to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday along with a delegation of Congress leaders to thrash out a solution to end the impasse.
Pradesh Congress Committee president Manikrao Thakre, Revenue Minister Narayan Rane, Forests Minister Patangrao Kadam and Congress leaders Kripa Shankar Singh and Kanaiyalal Gidwani are part of the team.
“We would be discussing how to accelerate the process for the airport and find a way through the obstacles. Mumbai needs a new airport. It is the need of the financial capital,” Mr. Gidwani told TheHindu on the phone from Delhi.
Dates for the EAC's visit had not been finalised yet. It would be looking into the issue of diversion of rivers and destruction of mangroves, State Environment Secretary Valsa Nair Singh said.
