Wait gets longer for Navi Mumbai airport

Bidding process for Navi Mumbai airport will be take up by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) only after completing the crucial land acquisition process. But this could delay the project and further push up costs.

Although the project received environmental clearance in November 2010, it has been stuck largely due to delays in land acquisition and lack of approval from the Centre for the issue of a formal Request for Qualification (RFQ) from bidders. Cidco, nodal agency for the project, had planned to issue the RFQ in June, parallel to the land acquisition and rehabilitation of affected villagers.

However it has now planned to do so only after the latter issues are sorted. The proposed airport is to be spread over 2,020 hectares (ha). Of these, nearly 1,400 ha are already in Cidco’s possession. It has yet to acquire 291 ha, as it is yet to arrive at an agreement with the project affected villagers (PAPs).