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Journalism of Courage
May 3: Citing opposition from the local population, the state government’s plan to shift the location of second international airport to Navi Mumbai has no takers in Rewas-Mandwa area, the original choice.
The anti-airport lobby at Rewas-Mandwa has accused the government of double standards and demanded that the area reserved for the airport in the Mumbai Metropolitan and Regional Development Authority’s plan should first be denotified.
Said George John of the Rewas Alibag Mandwa Association (RAMA), a residents’ association agitating against the construction of the airport, the government’s plan to shift focus to Navi Mumbai is only a ploy to steer clear of the controversy. "The proposed Rewas-Mandwa airport was confirmed by the state government with a notification published in the official gazette in 1970s, and the prospect of being dishoused still looms large over the villagers," he said, demanding the denotification of the proposal.
The proposed plan of MMRDA for 1996-2011 has reserved an area of 45square kilometres in the Rewas-Mandwa area for the second international airport. About 1/3rd area of the proposed airport would be constructed by reclaiming land from the sea and seriously disrupting the ecological balance of the area. It would also displace natives of about 14 villages in the area.
"The government has already signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Hinduja Group for the proposed Rewas-Mandwa airport. At the same time it has also invited tenders for the Navi Mumbai airport. This exposes the government’s double standards and has only added to the confusion," John pointed out. Aviation experts have also criticised the government which had stated that the second international airport near Mumbai was proposed considering the congestion at the existing facilities at Sahar and Santacruz.
Former managing director of Air-India, Capt Mathur, on the other hand, feels that there is absolutely no need for a second airport. The infrastructure at the existing Mumbai’s Sahar airportcould be developed to take care of the growing passenger and cargo traffic, he said.
The upgradation of the existing infrastructure at the Mumbai airport will cost only a fraction of Rs 20,000 crore, the estimated project cost of the new airport, Mathur said. "Nearly 150 acres of land at the Mumbai airport is encroached upon by illegal slums. Instead of rehabilitating these slumdwellers, the government wants to uproot thousands of villagers… it’s very illogical," Capt Mathur said, adding that the government should first conduct a thorough study of the Mumbai airport.
"Alternatively, a parallel runway of equal length to the existing runway (0927) on the south side could be considered. It would only require shifting of some hangars and offices and also use up the area vacated by the encroachers," he said.
