New airport in Navi Mumbai only: Praful Patel
September 18th, 2010 - 7:46 pm ICT by IANS
Mumbai, Sep 18 (IANS) Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel emphatically said Saturday that the proposed new international airport would come up at the Navi Mumbai site and there was no questions of any other option.
Briefly interacting with media persons here, Patel said there is no suitable alternative site available for the new airport except the one at Navi Mumbai.
He said that while his ministry would consider the environmental issues, there was not much scope for changing the design of the planned airport though he had suggested to the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) that it examine the issue.
“However, we do not have any other suitable alternate site for the new airport so it will come up at Navi Mumbai,” he said.
The proposed airport has been embroiled in controversy following strong objections raised to the project site by union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh.
Among other things, the environment ministry is opposed to the destruction of a large area of mangroves, diversion of two rivers in the area and the flattening of a hillock to make way for the runway.
The issue is being examined in detail by an expert appraisal committee (EAC) set up by the ministry which is expected to hold another meeting in Navi Mumbai Sep 22.
Last fortnight, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan led a high-level delegation to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and impress upon him the need for the new airport at Navi Mumbai.
The prime minister assured the delegation that he would personally look into the matter.
- Navi Mumbai airport plan tweaked on green concerns - Oct 23, 2010
- Environment panel to re-assess Navi Mumbai airport plan - Oct 15, 2010
- Not against second airport in Mumbai, says Ramesh - Aug 14, 2010
- Navi Mumbai airport may get the nod this week - Nov 10, 2010
- Panel meets to decide on second airport for Mumbai - Aug 18, 2010
- Maharashtra CM Chavan meets PM over Navi Mumbai airport row - Sep 03, 2010
- Navi Mumbai airport gets environment ministry's clearance - Nov 22, 2010
- Navi Mumbai airport gets green nod, finally (Lead) - Nov 22, 2010
- PM to intervene in Navi Mumbai airport deadlock - Sep 03, 2010
- India's commercial hub to get second airport after 'green' nod (Roundup) - Nov 22, 2010
- Serious issues with Navi Mumbai airport project: Ramesh - Jul 06, 2010
- Nirma's cement plant could be shifted: Environment ministry - May 10, 2011
- Companies asked to adopt corporate environmental policy - Apr 28, 2011
- Lavasa township project denied environment clearance - Oct 14, 2011
- Employees protest CIDCO move to give land to Videocon - Aug 06, 2010
Tags: alternate site, appraisal committee, ashok, chavan, chief minister, civil aviation, environmental issues, expert appraisal, fortnight, hillock, level delegation, manmohan, manmohan singh, media persons, navi mumbai, praful patel, prime minister manmohan, prime minister manmohan singh, ramesh, two rivers