First flight from Navi Mumbai airport to take off by December 2019
Cidco, the nodal authority for the project, on Thursday took a group of journalists on a tour of the proposed airport site and showed the progress of the pre-development work
The City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) on Thursday said the first flight from the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) would take off by December 2019.
However, sceptics have questioned the deadline and called it unrealistic. “We know that the airport cannot be ready in such a short period. As the chief minister has announced the deadline, we cannot contradict him,” said a senior official from Cidco.
Cidco joint managing director Prajakta Lavangare-Verma said, “In the worst scenario, if there is a spill over, we will complete the project by April-May 2020.”
Cidco, the nodal authority for the project, on Thursday took a group of journalists on a tour of the site and showed the progress of pre-development work.
Later speaking to the media, Verma said pre-development work, which included cutting of Ulwe hill, diverting of Gadhi river and levelling of land etc, would be completed by December 2018. It would be followed by the construction of the airport terminal, runway, hangar etc, she said.
Cidco started pre-development work after getting environmental clearance from the ministry of environment, forest and climate change on April 24.
“We are confident that pre-development work will be completed by December 2018. In October, we gave the letter of intent to GVK to build the airport. The master plan and financial closure is expected by May 2018. We will then sign an agreement with GVK.”
Meanwhile, Cidco also said that all resettlement plots for PAPs would be ready by February in 2018.
“We have the consent of the 3,000 families for the revised rehabilitation and resettlement approved by the state government. Around 400 families have been added to the list,” said Verma