Mumbai may finally get its new airport now as a panel of the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has given the ‘green signal’ for the multi-billion rupee project.
The proposal had also received an intense push from Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan who had met Union environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan to clear hurdles in its path.
The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) cleared the proposal in its recently held meeting ‘recommending forest clearance’ with several conditions for diversion of around 250 hectares of forest land in Raigad. It had already got the environmental clearance in 2010.
One of the main concerns of the FAC was mangrove forest in the area sought for diversion and while recommending approval, it has clearly laid down that “afforestation of mangrove species over an area equivalent in extent to mangrove forest area being diverted has to be raised and maintained by the user agency at their own cost”.
29/07/13 Mayank Aggarwal/Daily News & Analysis
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The proposal had also received an intense push from Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan who had met Union environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan to clear hurdles in its path.
The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) cleared the proposal in its recently held meeting ‘recommending forest clearance’ with several conditions for diversion of around 250 hectares of forest land in Raigad. It had already got the environmental clearance in 2010.
One of the main concerns of the FAC was mangrove forest in the area sought for diversion and while recommending approval, it has clearly laid down that “afforestation of mangrove species over an area equivalent in extent to mangrove forest area being diverted has to be raised and maintained by the user agency at their own cost”.
29/07/13 Mayank Aggarwal/Daily News & Analysis
