The second airport at Navi Mumbai is now one final step away from getting the environmental clearance. An Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) has completed its appraisal process and suggested some more steps which should be undertaken to minimise the environmental impact at the site. The expert committee will submit its recommendations to the ministry which will take the final decision.
The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) – the developer of the airport, which had opposed changes in its original plans, has agreed to accept most of the EAC’s recommendations.
EAC has suggested that at least one of the two rivers flowing through the location would not need to be diverted, while the majority of the mangroves present in hundreds of acres would be saved. CIDCO has also agreed that it is ready to develop a mangrove park in around 275 hectares to compensate for the loss of mangroves.
CIDCO has agreed to remove the non-essential elements of the airport away from the seaward side, according to EAC’s recommendations. These non-essential elements will he built over the already existing SEZ land on the southern side. CIDCO will also reduce the distance between two runways from 1,835 meters to 1,500 meters.
