Surendra Gangan

Mumbai: Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said on Thursday that the greenfield international airport at Navi Mumbai would be completed by 2012.

Deshmukh said the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has in-principle cleared the Navi Mumbai airport and work will start in the next 10 months.

The state government, however, has been asked to clarify its stand on certain issues.

“They have in-principle agreed on the site though some minor issues need to be ironed out. We will start the process of issuing tenders soon while actual work will start in the next 10 months,” he said.

As nearly 25% of the 2,750 acres earmarked for the Rs10,000-crore project falls under the coastal regulation zone I, the ministry had raised objections to the site. The state had been asked to find an alternative site.

However, the greens say they will continue to oppose the project.

“The project endangers the environment as well as the livelihood of the locals. The entire stretch of mangroves will have to be removed and the reclamation will lead to rampant flooding in other parts of the city,” said Vaishali Patil of the Forum Against Globalisation.

She claimed that even land acquisition would not be easy as the locals are against the project.

Source : DNA