The upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL) has incorporated the suggestions made by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) to protect the water bodies in the interest of air safety. The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study carried out by Hyderabad-based Vimta Labs Limited also highlighted how to save wetlands as suggested by BNHS.
The EIA has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Control for further environment and CRZ clearances for the airport project.
“Any changes in the current state of these areas (the wetlands) will result in more erratic movement of the birds in the landscape between feeding and roosting sites, which may jeopardise the air safety of NMIA,” stated the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study, quoting BNHS, submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Control.
NMIAL submitted the EIA study as part of its application for fresh Environmental and CRZ Clearance for this project in lieu of the expiry of the previous permissions in November last year.
Appreciating the development, NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar expressed hope that the wetlands will be conserved which has also been desired by the State Mangrove Foundation. However, he said that other government agencies have been just ignoring the existence of the wetlands listed by BNHS in the report done for the planner.
Sunil Agrawal of the 'Save Navi Mumbai Environment' forum said, "the admission by the Adani-NMIA report is a positive development and vindicates our stand to save the biodiversity properties."
NatConnect, which has been running a campaign to save the wetlands and the NMIA flights, said CIDCO should also reconcile its stand vis-a-vis the wetlands and contribute to the conservation of the biodiversity instead of destroying it.
