Trees holding up airport expansion plans

Mumbai: The commissioning of the new arrivals plaza for domestic flights at terminal 1-B of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport has been postponed yet again—this time by at least three months, making it the longest delay so far. The reason: pending permission for felling 345 trees.
In February, the Mumbai International Airport Private limited (MIAL) sought permission from the Tree Authority—constituted under the Gardens Department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)—for felling 345 trees, but promising to replant only 45.
However, the Tree Authority has “reservations” about the largescale felling, said Sunil Prabhu, leader of the BMC House. MIAL MD G V Sanjay Reddy is also understood to have personally met senior Shiv Sena politicians to expedite the permissions, but it hasn’t been forthcoming.
MIAL maintains that the trees need to go to make way for constructing separate approach roads for bifurcating traffic for arrivals and departures, expand the car park and create an arrivals plaza.
“We will try and replant as many trees as we can, but can give an assurance for replanting only 45 trees now. We are also looking at alternate sites outside the airport to replant these,” said an MIAL spokesperson.
15/05/07 Lekha Agarwal/Expressindia.com

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Categories: Airports May 2007