7,000 squatters to be shifted from Sahar airport land by November

Mumbai: By November, 7,000 families of slumdwellers who have encroached on either side of the runway at international airport at Sahar will be shifted and rehabilitated. This will come as a respite for the space crunched Sahar airport whose modernisation plans have been put on hold due to the encroachments.
Presently, a majority of the more than 1,960 acre airport land, which has been leased to Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd (MIAL) for 30 years, has been either encroached upon or under litigation with the government.
“This will be a good step for the development of the airport, which is the need of the hour,” said Naseem Khan, guardian minister, Mumbai suburban area.
After the first phase, in which 7,000 families will be shifted by November 1, 60,000 more families will have to be moved.
The freeing up of land will help increase the airport’s capacity, expand the aeronautical infrastructure and allow MIAL to carry out its plans for commercial development around the airport.
07/08/10 Sayli Udas Mankikar/Hindustan Times

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Categories: airports aug 2010