When will
NMIA become operational?
The Navi Mumbai International Airport is unlikely to be ready for
operations before 2022, according to Alexandre de Juniac, director general and
CEO of International Air Transport Association (IATA). But early this year,
chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had set a deadline of 2019 for the completion
of the airport, which was then revised to 2020. Now who is right?
After over a decade of dillydallying the state government woke up to the
fact that the lone Sahar-based airport is saturated beyond capacity. Since
Mumbai is one of the key cities, it would be detrimental to not solve the
airport issue.
One thing is certain. NMIA will become a reality. Hence Cidco will float
global tenders for three prime plots reserved for five star hotels as part of
the much-awaited Navi Mumbai airport-led growth for the expanding city. Cidco looks at raking in at least Rs 200
crore from the land deal. It takes nearly three to four years for a five-star
hotel to be constructed and commissioned. The airport's development and that of
the new hotels would thus be simultaneous.
At the end of second week of April 2017, the meeting of the 2019 deadline
for the first take off from the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) appeared
uncertain as ground work for the Rs16,000 crore mega green field project had
come to a "standstill''. The crucial stage II forest clearance from the
MoEF was still eluding the town planning body.
However, just a few days later, the Union ministry of environment and
forests (MoEF) granted the crucial stage II forest clearance for the Navi
Mumbai international airport (NMIA), paving the way all the work on the ground
such as cutting and levelling of Ulwe hill, changing the course of the river
and rehabilitation of projected-affected people (PAPs). The government once
again appeared determined to make the first flight from the airport to take off
by 2019-end. The MoEF had laid down around 35 conditions to comply with. Cidco
has complied with most of them in the contract conditions.
Cidco is all set to start the Ulwe hill blasting work to pave way for the
proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). The hill cutting and
blasting operations will also involve diversion of Ulwe River's course. It will
take about one week to prepare for the blasts. The hill will be brought down to
8m from its present highest point of around 90-92m. Cidco will level the hill
down to 5.5m and the remaining 2.5m will later be filled up by the strategic
partner, GVK-led MIAL group. According to a rough estimate, 3.5 crore cubic metre of rock debris
will be obtained after the blasting operations are done.
Thus it is clear that the work on NMIA has begun with all seriousness.
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