'Navi Mumbai airport has environmental issues'

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday countered his ministerial colleague Praful Patel's alegations that the Navi Mumbai airport project was being delayed for want of clearance, saying it has 'serious' environmental issues that need to be addressed first.

"The Environmental Impact Assessment on the Navi Mumbai airport will be submitted on Wednesday. There are serious environmental issues. Its construction would damage mangrove cultivation in the 2,000 hectare area besides the diversion of two rivers. It's too premature to say about its fate," said Ramesh on the sidelines of an event here.

Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority and the City Industrial Development corporation will submit their environment impact assesment report tomorrow.

He said the project would be taken up for discussion on 21-22 July by the Expert Appraisal Committee under the environment ministry and only then will its fate be decided.

"I am sure IIT-Mumbai which has been asked to prepare the environment impact assessment report would have looked into all the ecology-related issues," he said.