Green signal for Mumbai airport

New Delhi: An environment ministry committee on Wednesday cleared most green hurdles for Mumbai’s second international airport at Navi Mumbai but imposed tough conditions for the project. The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) submitted its recommendations to environment minister Jairam Ramesh, who is expected to announce his decision by Friday.
In Mumbai, civil aviation minister Praful Patel announced that the Navi Mumbai airport — to cater to 36 million people every year — had got environment clearance.
The airport had been a bone of contention between the two ministers on environment grounds.
Officials, however, said the real concerns about environment are addressed in several conditions that have been imposed on the City Industrial Development Organisation (CIDCO) to build the airport.
Among the prominent conditions is no diversion of Gadhi and Ulwe rivers and a mangrove park of around 300 acres and shifting all non-aeronautical functions outside the main airport area. A minimum flow will have to be maintained in the two rivers throughout the year.
The panel has asked CIDCO to reduce the distance between two runways from 1,835 metres to 1,500 metres to minimise impact on two rivers.
10/11/10 Chetan Chauhan/Hindustan Times

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Categories: Airports Nov 2010