The state government has asked Louis Berger,consultant for the Navi Mumbai airport project,to submit by October 4 a plan with changes in some aeronautical aspects to help reduce its impact on the environment. Senior urban development department officials said the consultants have been asked to check if the runway could be shifted slightly to avoid diverting the Gadhi river. During the meeting of the expert appraisal committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on September 22,members had expressed concerns about the diversion of the Gadhi for building the runways and core airport facilities. Mantralaya sources said the MoEF wishes that the Gadhi should not be touched. The ministry has already objected to the non-aeronautical facilities which were infringing on the river and Waghvali Island. An EAC team is likely to visit the site around October 18 before granting final green clearance. To allay concerns about the river diversion,the government held a preliminary meeting with the US-based consultant firm late last week during which shifting the runway was discussed. Preliminary talks showed it is possible to shift the runway a bit. But we have asked them to submit a detailed report as we have to be sure the capacity of the airport is not affected, said an official. Officials said the airports capacity is projected at 50 million passengers a year. They said the two proposed,parallel runways are 1.8 km apart,the space in between earmarked for taxiways and parking bays. But some changes could be made here,they said. There is some extra space here and the runway can be shifted by about 250 metres which will ensure the river is not diverted. The consultants are looking at this aspect, said one official.
