Defence Ministry Gives Clearance Staff Reporter / Navi Mumbai
Though the environment clearances for the proposed greenfield airport project here came after much inordinate delay, the nod for the same from the country’s defence establishment has come in just a few days.
The Maharashtra state government received a letter from the Union Defence Ministry on December 1, giving the green signal to the Navi Mumbai airport,
Following the environmental clearance given by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) last week, the state chief minister Prithviraj Chavan wrote to Union Defence Minister A K Antony for a speedy defence clearance, say sources.
It is gathered that the Navy had said that they had no jurisdiction over the Navi Mumbai site. Apparently, the India Air Force (IAF)head quarters examined the proposal and the defense ministry cleared it with fifteen conditions.
The conditions require that all income and outgoing planes must have defence clearances. Military planes must be exempt from parking, landing and housing charges and the radio navigational facilities must be made available to defence authorities.
The IAF has also reportedly stated that there must be effective coordination detween the IAF-controlled Lohegaon airport in Pune’s air traffic control.
Officials now say that only the forest clearance is pending now and they could have some reservations as the Karnala bird sanctuary is located nearby.
