Runway slums sent packing as India takes to sky

For decades, a view of the runway slums has been a feature of landing in Mumbai, but the airport operator wants that to change. The shanties are on airport land and, with India's aviation market expanding at a cracking 20% a year, the operator wants the land to expand and upgrade facilities.
The sheer number of people would make relocation a formidable task. About 400,000 people live in 85,000 huts encroaching on airport land.
"That makes it the biggest slum rehabilitation anywhere," says Manish Kalghatgi, spokesman for Mumbai International Airport Ltd, the private firm that runs the airport.
N. Sureshan, the general secretary of a community group advocating for the residents, says they are happy to move as long as their new houses are near the airport.
"We fear we will be 30 to 50 kilometres from where we work," he says. "This is a big problem. We don't want to go away from the airport — more than 100,000 of our children go to school here."
Many are employed at the airport in low-skilled jobs, such as trolley collectors, guards and cleaners. Others work in industries dependent on the airport, such as taxis or airport-related construction.
Suitable land close to the airport is being found for the construction of new multi-storey buildings to house the slum dwellers. But Mr Kalghatgi says the airport cannot give an assurance that everyone will end up close to the airport.
22/03/08 Matt Wade/The Age, Australia

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Categories: Airports Mar 2008