‘Airport deadline in 2024; by then, MTHL will also be completed’: Sanjay Mukherjee

In addition to the Navi Mumbai development project, we are also building a few new towns with the latest one being Palghar. CIDCO has also taken up other new towns, including Aurangabad, Nagpur, Latur and Nanded. The corporation is also implementing the largest housing scheme the world has ever seen with about 1.25 lakh houses under construction. This will be in three phases the first one of which is complete.

When I took over during the Covid pandemic, the market was in crisis, real estate had collapsed. This affected the poorest of poor, including construction labourers. We made a change in policy that instead of going only after large chunks of land for which there may not be a demand due to the crisis, we came up with schemes for smaller areas. These included bungalows, flats for EWS and middle-income group, and middle-sized plots for small developers. We tested the response and it was phenomenal even during Covid.

Among other projects, NAINA (Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area) is on track; MTHL (Mumbai Trans Harbour Link) is getting completed. CIDCO had a big role in land acquisition for MTHL. Even the Samruddhi corridor (connecting Mumbai to Nagpur), since it will be passing from Navi Mumbai connecting at JNPT, will also benefit this part. All these projects are generating a lot of demand.

How has work on the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport been progressing?

100 per cent land acquisition has been made. The airport has been handed over to Adani Airport Holding Limited. They have achieved financial closure. So, the State Bank of India has approved the project size of Rs 25 crore. The loan has also been sanctioned and the project is on track. The project, which was held-up now, is being cleared. The environment clearance is also on its way.

Are three more Metros coming up, including the one connecting the upcoming airport?

Yes, we have divided the area into three lines. The board of directors has approved it. The thinking earlier was that if you want to go to New-Mumbai International Airport from Belapur, you have to take a round trip. However, later we thought of connecting the route from Belapur. So, we have asked Maha Metro to start working on it. But it is too early to state if it works, as preliminary work is underway.

What has been the progress on road links such as trans-harbour that relate to connectivity to Navi Mumbai airport once it is functional?

So, Navi Mumbai airport has interesting connectivity and the work (on the same) is underway. The work that is yet to start is on Goregaon-Mulund link road and Airoli-Katai tunnel, for which MMRDA will bring out the tenders shortly. The Goregaon-Mulund road work is being carried out by BMC and it’s in the last stage of bringing out tender. As for the Thane-creek bridge i.e., Vashi bridge, the work on bridge no 3 has begun, and MSRTC and CIDCO are doing it together to ease congestion in that area.

Then in the MTHL project, CIDCO has done the land acquisition and given the entire land free-of-cost to MMRDA – this will be another mode of connectivity. For water connectivity, a small tweaking has been done on the Navi Mumbai International Airport and a jetty will be a part of the airport. This jetty will be connected to Bhaucha Dhakka (port) in Mumbai.

The airport is also near Pune and to ease the flow of traffic, a series of flyovers, interchanges from the Kalamboli end are being set up. CIDCO is also developing peripheral roads around the airport. It’s a fact that Airport work started in 2018, so it should have been done by 2021 but (it) could not be completed due to many issues. Now, the deadline is 2024 and till then, MTHL will be completed and Thane creek will also be almost completed.

What about the connectivity between Mumbai airport and Navi Mumbai airport?

MMRDA is working on it. But we are working on the coastal road to take people from MTHL to the airport. For this road, we have got clearance from the state government’s forest department and now it’s with the government of India for further green clearance.

When will the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) be fully operational?

Immediately. The owners of Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) and Navi Mumbai airport are the same. Airports Authority of India (AAI) is a party in both airports. Regulator is the Union government. They wanted NMIA much earlier. As soon as the airport is ready, operations will shift. People of Mumbai also want the airport to shift.

Do you feel that it is time to decongest Navi Mumbai?

For decongesting Navi Mumbai, we are developing the JNPT-Belapur stretch. There are some societies, which are not being maintained. A meeting was held by the Chief Minister in the regard. Now, Navi Mumbai too will be in need of redevelopments. The societies will have the choice to select from different agencies – Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), CIDCO and private builders for the purpose.

How do you expect people to believe CIDCO as the agency has announced that after developing lands, they will be handing over their maintenance to the local municipal corporation?

We live in a people’s elected democratic country and here, the local body is guaranteed by the Constitution. So the job of a development authority is to develop. After that, the local body is to take care of it. We have to ensure that we strengthen the local bodies and make them competent enough to be trusted. People in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur demand the developing authority to hand over the land to the local bodies because they have developed certain competencies. Navi Mumbai Municipal corporation also needs to work towards it. Besides, we maintain the property for as long as we are allowed to and hand them over only after the government decides to.

What is the financial position of CIDCO as of now what with so many projects underway?

We are following a project-based budgeting system now. Earlier, we used to have a fund, but now we don’t do that anymore. Now, suppose we have Metro. For this, we have certain pieces of land which are tied up, some of them are being auctioned so that a cash-flow system is being created and that project is financially closed. We have done this with all our projects, like housing, Metro, airport. When I took the charge, we had reserves of Rs 1800 crore with Rs one lakh crore liability.