the goan I network
PANAJI
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Goa legislative assembly on Thursday that the Mopa Airport is being constructed in four phases and will have a capacity to handle 3 crore passengers annually.
Parrikar made the statement in a written reply to a question tabled by Nilesh Cabral, who represents Curchorem in South Goa where sentiment is against the greenfield airport over the suspense around whether Dabolim will continue with civilian operations.
Parrikar in the written reply said in phase I, the annual passenger carrying capacity of Mopa Airport will be 44 lakhs or 4.4 million. Phase II will add 58 lakhs (or 5.8 million) and 94 lakhs (9.4 million) annual passenger capacity will be added in phase III, he said.
An additional 1.31 crore passengers (13.1 million) annual capacity will be added in the final phase IV adding up to the total 3 crore passengers a year capacity when the airport is fully complete, Parrikar who also holds the civil aviation portfolio said.
Parrikar also set a timeline of September 2020 for the first phase which he said is estimated to cost Rs 1,900 crore.
According to the agreement between Goa government and GMR Goa International Airport Ltd, the Mopa airport will also be developed for cargo traffic.
Parrikar assured the existing Indian Navy-controlled Dabolim International Airport, will handle civilian operations after the international airport at Mopa is commissioned.
Mopa airport had been a project on the Goa government’s agenda for almost two decades but stiff opposition from politicians as well as tourism stakeholders from South Goa had forced successive state governments to dither on a decision. There were also charges that Mopa was being pursued in the interest of neighbouring Maharashtra whose government has unveiled a plan to develop for tourism potential the beaches along the Konkan coast.
