Navi Mumbai site inspected,airport returns to talks table

The team spent two hours at the site,travelling in an eight-car motorcade,visiting key spots and examining maps. CIDCO and government officials showed them maps and proposed various options to mitigate the impact on the environment. The team inspected the 400-acre stretch of mangroves that would have to be removed,a 92-m hill that would have to be razed,and the rivers Ulwe and Gadhi which,under the initial proposal,were to be diverted. “We have come to assess the site. There will be discussions over the next two days with CIDCO officials,” said Naresh Dayal,heading the EAC.

A month ago,when a Civil Aviation Ministry team was assessing the site,they had come up against disgruntled villagers. This time,heavy police presence marked the route the visitors took,though they met no villagers at Waghavli.

At a meeting in New Delhi,the EAC had expressed concern about the diversion of the Gadhi. The government has indicated its willingness to shift the non-aeronautical parts of the project from the northern to the southern side.

In New Delhi,Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel expressed hope the project would get clearance next month. While the site and the runway remains the same,“changes have been made to some extent in the (civil) design and the work being done by CIDCO,” he said. “This matter cannot be left to linger for long as it is seriously affecting the growing air traffic in the financial capital of Mumbai.”