Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Wednesday said he was hopeful of speedy clearance to the Navi Mumbai airport project but Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh feared it would destroy large swathe of mangroves at the proposed site.
"I think it should be through. We have submitted the environment impact assessment report and centre's expert group on environment will discuss it on July 21," Chavan told PTI when asked about the fate of the proposed second airport in Mumbai.
The Chief Minister, who was in Delhi, said he had met Ramesh on Tuesday and the state government has "replied to all the queries raised by the environment ministry."
But Ramesh, while launching a project in Gujarat's Dandi village, said "if that airport comes up in the proposed area, 400 acres of mangroves would be destroyed. I have suggested to the Chief Minister to learn from the experience of Gujarat Ecology Commission and utilise its services for mangrove conservation".
The statements followed a war of words between Ramesh and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel who had last week severely criticised the Environment Ministry for delaying environmental clearance to the Rs 10,000 crore (Rs 100 billion) project to be built over four phases.
On Monday, state coastal authority - Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority - had given its final go-ahead for the airport. The authority is believed to have said that the project would not have an adverse impact on the environment. At his meeting with Ramesh, the Chief Minister also raised the issue of construction of helipads in Mumbai and the monorail project in the city.
"I raised issue of environmental clearance for construction of helipads in the city for security and health purposes," Chavan said.
He also sought environmental clearance for extension of Bandra-Worli Sea link to Haji Ali in Phase-II and Haji Ali to Nariman Point in phase-III.
Contract for construction of sea link to Haji Ali has already been awarded to the Anil Amabani Group (ADAG).
"I asked the Environment Minister to give the clearances for entire stretch till Nariman Point. I don't want piecemeal clearances," Chavan added.
