Upcoming airport likely to be delayed due to tree cutting issues

The upcoming Mopa Greenfield International Airport Project in North Goa, undertaken by the GMR group, could be delayed due to a Supreme Court interim order this month which stayed cutting of trees at the site, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Goa Assembly on Wednesday. Responding to a question by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Rajesh Patnekar, Parrikar said in a written reply: "As per concession agreement, the Phase I of the airport is to be commissioned by September 2020. However, there could be a delay in the commissioning of Phase I due to stay on tree cutting earlier and status quo ordered by the Supreme Court vide order dated January 18."

Hearing two petitions from Goa-based activists, who alleged that trees were being illegally felled, the apex court in an interim order directed the Goa government and GMR to maintain a status quo on the construction of the airport. Parrikar also said: "The airport would be conducted in four phases with a potential of handling 30 million passengers per annum."