Modi push likely to give wings to NaviMumbai airport

The ~160 billion Navi Mumbai airport finally seems to be taxiing for a take-off. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to lay the foundation for the project on Sunday.

First conceived nearly two decades ago, the airport project has missed several deadlines and has been mired in issues related to land acquisition and environment. With the existing Mumbai airport reaching saturation, the need for a second airport has become urgent. The prime ministerial push is expected to expedite the project.

Last month, the GVK group and the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra signed the concession agreement for the airport. The GVK group won the bid to construct the airport last February. But the award letter was issued only in October. The group runs the Mumbai airport.

Master plan by April According to the concession agreement, the first phase of the airport will be able to handle at least 10 million passengers and 0.26 million tonnes of cargo each year. The airport master plan is being prepared and would be submitted to the government by April — within 90 days of signing the concession agreement. Consulting firm Jacobs UK is working with GVK on the master plan. An architect will soon be selected through a competition to design the terminal.

20% pre-development work complete

The core airport land covers 1160 hectares and much of it comprises a hillock, marsh land and a river. Pre-development works, which include flattening the hillock, reclaiming marsh land, diverting the river and shifting power transmission lines, started last June. The work was held up many times by villagers who were affected by the project. But CIDCO officials claimed work has been completed on around 20 per cent of the 1,160 hectares. The hillock is being excavated and rock is being used to fill land to increase land level to 5.5 metres above sea level. The work of shifting power transmission lines is yet to begin. It requires high court clearance, as it involves constructing two stilt bridges over mangroves and creek.

Over 400 of the 3,000 project-affected families have shifted their homes. CIDCO had offered them an extra incentive of ~100-500 per sqft to encourage them to vacate their homes by May. Those who vacate in March will get ~500 a sq feet as incentive and those leaving in April and May will get ~300 and ~100, respectively.

But the question when will the airport be ready has no clear answer. CIDCO has said the terminal building and single runway would be ready by December 2019. Earlier this month, minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha said it would take 4-5 years for the airport to become operational.

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