Guest guest Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Weve-done-our-homework/article show/4673430.cms MUMBAI: A day after Jairam Ramesh asked him to look for another site for the Navi Mumbai international airport chief minister Ashok Chavan spoke to the Union environment minister, saying since adequate homework had been done for the project, the Centre should consider approving it. " I have received Jairam Ramesh's letter and spoke to him regarding the homework done by my government. I have sent him a reply today itself. I have passed on specific information about the issues raised by him,'' Chavan told TOI. Earlier, Chavan had a long meeting with chief secretary Johny Joseph and City and Industrial Development Corporation vice-chairman G S Gill to discuss the pros and cons of Jairam's communication. " We will take all possible steps to convince the minister on the need to approve the new airport, since it will ease the congestion at the existing one,'' Chavan asserted. In his letter, Jairam said since the site includes 150 hectares of mangroves and 340 hectares of coastal marshy land, including 118 hectares of water bodies, the state government should look for another site. Further, he said the original mangroves are irreplaceable and no compensatory afforestation is possible. " Eminent scientists have warned of a grave danger and that the second airport project poses and that the site is of great ecological value and should not be harmed,'' he said in his letter. In view of the increasing air traffic at the Mumbai airport, the state government was looking for a new site to set up an international airport. After a survey for well over a decade, Cidco, the nodal agency, identified a site near Navi Mumbai for the airport. The project was sent to the ministries of civil aviation, and environment and forests for clearances. Prime minister Manmohan Singh too had taken keen interest in the new airport. After Cidco made a presentation on the status of mangroves and submitted that it has nearly 1,400 acres of reserved forests, the cabinet approved the proposal. " Chavan held four to five meetings with the PM. On Chavan's submissions, the PMO gave approval for the project,'' a senior official told TOI. The official added after cabinet approval, Cidco appointed the IIT to conduct an environmental impact assessment of the project. " We are keen to complete all procedures and obtain final approval in three months. We are sure once we present our case before the minister he will accept our contention,'' the official said http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Weve-done-our-homework/article show/4673430.cms <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Weve-done-our-homework/articl eshow/4673430.cms> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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