Panel meets to decide on second airport for Mumbai

NEW DELHI - Members of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) Wednesday met in the capital to discuss the fate of a second airport for Mumbai in Panvel.

Concerned about the ecological damage the site might have on the surrounding areas, the environment ministry has stalled environment clearance to the project.

The panel had asked the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) of Maharashtra to provide a social impact assessment report but according to the ministry it is yet to revert.

According to Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh: “Around 400 acres of mangrove cover is like to be destroyed. Moreover, two rivers will have to be diverted and an 80-metre hill flattened if the airport comes up at the current site.”