The Navi Mumbai international airport has run into fresh trouble as the forest department has now refus-ed to give its clearance for the project. This is because it is still waiting for 56 hectares of compensatory land from the district collector against the forestland that was earmarked for the airport project.
The forest department was supposed to receive 250 hectares of land in compensation. However, it realised that of the 250 hectares offered to them by the state, 56 hectares in the Penn and Karjat tehsils was the forest department’s own land. Interestingly, although the forest department pointed this out to the district collector four months ago, to date no alterative land has been offered to the department. “No forest clearance can be given until all the compensatory land is formally handed over to the forest department,” said deputy conservator forests (Alibaug division) Anwar Ahmad.
In a letter dated February 13 this year to Raigad district collector H.K. Jawale, the forest department had pointed out that the 56 hectares cannot be accepted as its charts and survey maps show that the land belonged to the forest department itself.
The department has also suggested alternative land at Khawli village in the Sudhagad tehsil, but local villagers are opposing the demand.