The Greenfield Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) has missed a few of its completion deadlines since the project was first proposed. The nationwide lockdown announced in March put a stop on all construction work at the location.
Starting Monday, construction work on the NMIA began in a limited capacity after getting prior permission from relevant authorities including the transport department, police, and the district collector. Only a few workers are currently permitted to work on the site to make sure adequate social distancing is practiced. The same norms have been applied to other construction sites across Maharashtra, including civic projects.
Priya Ratambe, Senior Public Relations Officer of the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) said - “Work has been resumed with the minimum number of workers, to maintain social distancing and ensure those at the worksite are safe from infection.”
The airport at Greenfield was expected to be completed by the end of 2019, which didn’t come to pass. The next deadline was set for mid-May, which has taken a further hit due to the unforeseen circumstances leading up to the nationwide lockdown.
Also read - 3700 Foreign Nationals Evacuated From Mumbai International Airport During The Lockdown
Ratambe added that around 97% of the pre-development work was already done before the lockdown was imposed, adding “we are completing the pre-development work and have also started work in the non-aeronautical area.”
The cost of the NMIA project has risen from Rs 14,000 crore to Rs 16,500 crore. This airport was originally designed to decongest the crowded airport in Mumbai. However, the project has faced multiple hurdles along the way, including with regard to land acquisition and environmental concerns.
Despite NMIA officials suggesting that the deadline will be reached soon, it seems unlikely that the airport will be operational anytime in 2020. This is particularly the case since work hasn’t begun in full capacity as of yet.
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