MoEF grants Stage-II forest clearance to Navi Mumbai airport
The union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) on Tuesday has given a crucial Stage-II forest and wildlife clearance to the Navi Mumbai international airport. With today’s approval, the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), a nodal agency for the project development, is in possession of all the necessary clearances. CIDCO hopes to award the contract by December and commission the first phase of the Rs 16,000 crore project by December 2019. Once complete, the first phase will have a passenger handling capacity of 10 million.
MoEF had granted environment clearance on November 22, 2010 while laying down as many as 32 conditions, including plantation and protection of mangroves on 615 hectares by CIDCO, and rehabilitation of 3,000 families from 10 settlements spread over seven villages falling within the airport zone as per the Centre’s relief and rehabilitation policy. One of the conditions also barred property development within the proposed aeronautical airport zone area of 1,160 hectares.
Subsequently, MoEF had provided Stage-I forest and wildlife clearance for the project in December 2013.
A CIDCO official told Business Standard, ”Various approvals and clearances from the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA), ministry of defence apart from environment clearance and coastal zone regulation (CRZ) clearance from MoEF are in place. The Bombay High Court has permitted the clearance of mangroves in the Airport area. CRZ clearance for off-site infrastructure comprising peripheral roads and interchanges has been received.”
This apart, CIDCO has received route approval for shifting of transmission lines from Directorate General of Civil Aviation. A committee, constituted by DGCA, to workout the air space management and procedures for simultaneous and independent operations of the Mumbai and Navi Mumbai airports, has completed the study and its report is expected shortly.
As reported by Business Standard, CIDCO has already launched the transfer of 22.5 per cent developed land to 950 project affected persons and it hopes to complete by October end. Furthermore, three short-listed bidders comprising GVK, GMR and a consortium of Tata Realty and MIA Infra are expected to submit request for proposal for the airport project by September-end or early October. CIDCO expects the contract will be awarded by December.
KEY MILESTONES
Dec 2013: The MoEF accorded Stage I Forest Clearance to NMIA project
Apr 2013: Route approval for shifting of transmission lines obtained from DGCA
Nov 2012: Proposal for Forest Clearance duly recommended by Maharashtra government forwarded to MoEF for clearance
Dec. 2011: Maharashtra Revenue and Forest Department transferred 248 hectares of land to CIDCO
May 2011: Steering Committee, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) granted approval to Revised Master Plan for the project
Nov 2010: MoEF approved environment clearance
