IANS/Thane, Maharashtra
The first phase of the proposed new international airport in Navi Mumbai is expected to become operational by December 2018, an official said yesterday.
The first phase will include one runway, the arrival and departure terminals and customs and immigration sections.
Designed to ease congestion at the existing Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, which has a single runway, the proposed double runway airport will come up near Panvel as a public-private Partnership project on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis.
The airport is expected to cost about Rs145bn, said Sanjay Bhatia, vice-chairman and managing director of City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), which is overseeing the construction of the greenfield project.
Among the related projects which would boost the new international airport are a Rs21bn Metro Rail project, Rs14bn Nerul-Uran railway line, Rs14.5bn Balganga Dam for providing drinking water to Navi Mumbai, an airport township, other coastal roads and bridges.
Besides, the state government is re-activating the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust is doubling its capacity to handle large vessels.
CIDCO has prepared a three-year action plan to develop 13 schools, four professional colleges, one degree college, 32 hospitals, 34 religious and spiritual centres and 77 community welfare centres, including hostels and indoor and outdoor sports facilities, Bhatia added.
The corporation also plans to construct 6,000 affordable houses for the poor and middle classes in the region.
The local forest department is collaborating with CIDCO to develop a Rs360mn Nature Park Project spread over 2,000 hectares.
“It will have walking trails, water conservation projects, viewing galleries, adventure and camping facilities, regeneration of the forest and existing waterfalls, besides a Boulders’ Park,” Bhatia said.
These projects have attracted major realtors of Navi Mumbai, including Rajesh Prajapati of Prajapati Developers and Mohan Gurnani of Moraj Developers.
They have pledged full support to CIDCO to convert Navi Mumbai into a “world-class city” by providing all housing amenities and infrastructure.
