Mumbai: The state government has removed 80 of the total 174 villages falling under Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA). As a result, City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), the Special Planning Authority (SPA) of NAINA, is left with only 94 villages to be developed.
In a notification issued on March 4, the state Urban Development Department (UDD) has decided to hand over 80 villages to Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for development. Besides, it also handed over the Khopta township, comprising 33 villages, to be developed by MMRDA.
Handover Of Villages To MMRDA For Development
“This development is done keeping in view the recent operationalisation of Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), also called as Atal Setu. Since, the mega coastal road has been envisaged and developed by MMRDA, the government thought it right to hand over the villages situated in its surrounding to MMRDA for development. These villages were to be developed by CIDCO under its NAINA project,” a senior CIDCO official said not wishing to be named.
He added that the Khopta township, touted as Third Mumbai, will also be developed by MMRDA now, the official said and added that whether the MMRDA will develop these 113 villages (80 plus 33) as New Town Development Authority (NTDA) or SPA, will be clear only after the UDD issues an order in this context. “This order is likely to be issued only after elections,” the official added.
Development of NAINA by CIDCO Speeded Up
Meanwhile, CIDCO has taken up on war footing the development of NAINA. After the latest notification, 94 villages within 25km radius of the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) falls within NAINA. CIDCO would not be developing gaothans, which already has habitat and does not need planning agency’s interference in further development.
CIDCO has finalised 12 town planning schemes (TPS) to develop NAINA. Of these, infrastructural development of TPS 1 is complete while it is in the process of floating tenders for TPS 2-8, which is likely to be completed within next few months. Once the tenders are floated and contractor chosen, the infrastructure development of TPS 2-8 will begin immediately and would be completed within stipulated time.
Environmental Clearance Conditions And Land Utilisation Strategy For NMIA
While giving environmental clearance for the proposed NMIA, the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) laid a major condition to the CIDCO wherein it stated that the masterplan and development plan of Navi Mumbai shall be revised and recast given the airport development. It also asked the CIDCO to ensure that no unplanned or haphazard growth comes around the proposed airport.
The project does not entail the land acquisition process, but proposes land pooling by villagers wherein CIDCO gets to keep 60% of the land for infrastructure development while the project-affected people get the remaining 40% with 2.5 FSI. CIDCO does not have to pay any monetary compensation to the villagers.
