PANAJI
The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has sought the original master plan and approved building plans of Manohar International Airport at Mopa before deciding on requests to withdraw separate environmental clearance (EC) applications for two proposed developments within the airport complex.
The proposals, submitted by Retail Orbit Private Limited for a commercial project titled ‘Interchange, Mopa Goa’ and Velora Hospitality Private Limited for a hotel, were taken up at the 201st SEIAA meeting held on October 7.
Representatives of the companies and GMR, the airport's developer, informed the authority that the environmental clearance granted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on October 28, 2015, for the greenfield international airport already covered the development of the airport city and there is no requirement for separate clearance. They, therefore, sought permission to withdraw the applications.
Retail Orbit had applied for environmental clearance on July 8, 2026, for a commercial building and construction project on designated Plot No. CP-06-P1 within the Mopa Airport Area at Casarvarnem village in Pernem taluka. The company had deposited a processing fee of Rs 9,66,334 and subsequently sought withdrawal of its application and a refund of the fee.
The company is tasked with the retail interchange development at the Mopa airport site. The proposed commercial development forms part of the broader airport-city development, alongside other land monetisation initiatives by GMR, including a large meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) hotel project.
Separately, Velora Hospitality applied for environmental clearance on April 30, 2026, for a hotel at GMR Aerocity Goa, near Manohar International Airport, on Plot No. CP01-P5, Asset Area 4.
The proposed hotel will have 205 rooms and amenities including a gym, swimming pool, spa, casino and banquet hall. The project is planned on a 9,631.50-square-metre plot, with a total construction area of 27,352.72 square metres. The building is proposed to comprise two basements, a ground floor and six upper floors.
Velora also sought to withdraw its application, arguing that the proposed development was covered by the airport's existing environmental clearance.
After deliberations, SEIAA directed the project proponents to submit the original master plan and building plans approved when the airport received environmental clearance in 2015, along with details and copies of all subsequent amendments.
The authority said the documents would be examined before further consideration of the withdrawal requests.
