By the end of this year, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) is likely to get more heliports and helipads.
According to Hindustan Times, on Wednesday, the Maharashtra Airport Development Company Ltd. (MADC) invited expressions of interest (EoI) from government, semi-government agencies and private landowners for construction of helipads and heliports. The MADC, through the EoI, has asked bidders to submit various land documents that will be required to conduct a feasibility study to construct helipads in and around the city.
Currently, there are around five helipads in Mumbai, which are situated at Juhu Airport, Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Raj Bhavan and INS Kunjali. A MADC official told the Hindustan Times, “Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have plans to come up with helipads for which MADC will act as a nodal agency. They might begin the construction work by the end of the year.”
The MADC is now preparing master plan for construction of helipads in MMR. Suresh Kakani, vice-president of MADC, told the leading daily, “We are preparing a master plan for construction of helipads in MMR. We will work as a facilitator for not only BMC and MSRDC but also private parties, which have required land available with them. We will begin the construction work as soon as we get a bidder.”
