1.3-acre of Mangrove land to be cut for airport surveillance radar in Dhakale Island

NAVI MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has given its approval to hack nearly 1

NAVI MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has given its approval to hack nearly 1.3-acre mangroves at Dhakale Island to make way for airport surveillance radar of the Adani Airport-controlled Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).

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The site was shifted from an open plot at Delhi Public School in Nerul to Dhakale Island to lift the 55.1 metres height restriction around Navi Mumbai airport and provide relief to house buyers.

The proposal was cleared by the MCZMA in its meeting on November 2 and the minutes were uploaded on Monday.

The minutes say that the NMIA has planned for an airport capacity of a minimum of 60 million passengers per annum (MPPA) with aircraft separation as minimum as 3 nautical miles and is planned for High Intensity Runway Operations (HIRO).

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has planned for three Airport Surveillance Radar systems to ensure adequate performance and redundancy.

After studying the technical feasibility and simulations, it was finalized by AAI to install one such Airport Surveillance Radar System (ASR 1) at Dhakale Island, village Shahabaj near Navi Mumbai airport.

The minutes said that the project site is located at Dhakale Island which is surrounded by the Panvel Creek in Shahabaj village. The island can be accessed from Mohagoan Jetty, Belapur Jetty, and Seawood Terminal.

Accordingly, around 60 mangrove trees will be cut down for clearing the site. Transportation, loading- unloading, and storage will result in the generation of loose soil which is vulnerable to erosion. During monsoon, the potential for runoff will be increased, which can result in the loss of a significant amount of soil from the site, the minutes said.

The proposed project site area experiences a tide with a free flow of water and mangrove ecosystems which indicates a rich marine ecosystem inhabited, said the Environment Impact Assessment report. These impacts could ultimately have a short- and long-term negative influence on creek ecology if proper mitigation measures are not taken, said the report.

The Authority noted that the proposed ASR-1 is a vital facility required for the secure functioning of the Navi Mumbai International Airport and recommended the project.

Environmentalist D Stalin of NGO Vanshakti said, “CIDCO, which is developing the airport has always treated mangroves as a disposable community. Large amounts of mangroves are lost in CIDCO projects and authorities look the other way. This needless sacrifice could have been avoided.’’