Consultant to get green nod for airport in Jewar
GREATER NOIDA: The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) on Thursday said that Pricewaterhousecoopers will also prepare environment impact assessment (EIA) report for the proposed Jewar International Airport to get environmental clearance for the ambitious project.
“Apart from preparing techno-economic feasibility report for the Jewar International Airport, Pricewaterhousecoopers (PWC) will also conduct an environment impact assessment survey and prepare a report on the same because it has the duty also to get environmental clearance from the respective authorities to make way for the project. All the work that includes EIA, TEFR and conducting social impact assessment of the project will take place simultaneously. Our objective is to keep the project on fast track,” said Shailendra Bhatia officer on special duty of the YEIDA.
The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority on December 30 had selected Pricewaterhousecoopers as a consultant for preparing the techno-economic feasibility report (TEFR) for the proposed international airport at Jewar along the 165-km Yamuna Expressway.
Right after the selection process was over, the authority issued a letter of acceptance to the PWC to start the study on January 1, 2018, said officials. The Union civil aviation ministry had on June 24 given its approval to build an international airport at Jewar.
Therefore, the YEIDA wants the consultant to work on the airport project so that it could be taken forward.
“On Wednesday, Pricewaterhousecoopers came to us and completed some formalities related with the airport project. We have asked them to give a detailed presentation pertaining to completion of the project. They are scheduled to give a detailed presentation on January 8. In the presentation, they will tell us the deadlines for different works.
“We want to ensure that TEFR work gets completed by March end, 2018,” said Bhatia.
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath government wants that the work on the airport project should be expedited so that it can help in employment generation along the 165 km Yamuna Expressway.
“TEFR will be ready by March end. But getting environmental clearance will take some more time. To prepare EIA report, the agency needs to observe at least a season as per norms. But the EIA also will be completed as soon as possible in compliance of the existing environmental norms,” said Bhatia.
In 2001, then UP chief minister Rajnath Singh had proposed the Greenfield Taj International Airport and Aviation Hub (TIH) in Jewar. L&T Rambol Consulting Engineers had in 2004 prepared a draft of TEFR.
Later, the draft was revised in 2008. In 2010, then chief minister Mayawati had also supported the aviation project at Jewar.
In June 2017 again, the Centre revived the project, which remained stuck for many years.