The proposed Greenfield International airport at Mopa still remains only an “idea” to promote destruction of peaceful eco-sensitive villages and unique identity of Goa, through implementation of unsustainable mega industrial cities/townships projects, unwanted tourism and commercial projects and multi-modal transportation connectivity networks. There are no proper feasibility studies to confirm the need for Mopa airport near the Goa-Maharashtra boundary to meet the air traffic requirements of the tiny State of Goa.Also, all the required project impact assessment studies have not been completed.
Hence, the preliminary project design reports, the draft project master plans for phase-wise airport development for cargo and passenger transportation, airport connectivity and business plans /revenue model for Mopa airport project are hypothetical, based on unacceptable assumptions.
In the Terms of Reference (refer page 24 of 115) of Mopa Airport technical consultancy bid document (September 2010) to prepare the project master plan and preliminary project report, it is clearly stated that Belgaum, Hubli, Karwar and Dharwad are in Goa. It is further mentioned in the Terms of Reference of the September 2010 bid document that location of Mopa is suitable for the large-scale project that Goa wishes to launch for benefiting towns and cities such as Sangli, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri and Kolhapur in Maharashtra.
Mopa Airport is proposed to be developed in four phases. Therefore, attempts will be made to define a Goa Metropolitan region based on unsustainable long-term hypothetical land-use plans (for horizon year 2025, 2035 and 2045) for promoting the unviable Mopa Airport. These long-term hypothetical land-use plans are likely to also include imaginary land boundary plans (covering Goa and the neighbouring states) by destroying the biodiversity and eco-sensitive river systems of the Western Ghats and surrounding region.
According to the Terms of Reference (refer page 44 of 138) highlighted in the financial consultancy tender document (December 2011), the selected financial consultant for Mopa airport was required to prepare the Project Information Memorandum. It is shocking that even after nearly three years, there was only a two-page Project Information Memorandum (refer Appendix VII/ page 111& page 112) in the Mopa Airport Request for Qualification (RFQ) document (3 October 2014).
The road network of Goa shown in Appendix VII/ page 111 of the Mopa airport RFQ document is confusing. The existing Borim Bridge (presently being weakened by allowing overloaded trucks) has gone missing. Also, the above referred Information Memorandum for the Mopa international airport project is totally silent on the existing road and railway network upgrading plans to meet the passenger and cargo traffic requirements. The transportation linkages required for airport accessibility are kept hidden. The Information Memorandum for the project is required to provide details on the project background and airport master plan, transportation connectivity and linkages, essential services and infrastructure upgrading plans, project structure, policy framework, project clearances &approvals & airport related pre-development works.
There was poor response from applicants to submit bids for Mopa Airport RFQ process .According to a news report in the Herald dated March 20, 2015 (refer voice of Goa page 2), total 12 companies had shown interest for the construction of Mopa airport and only five had bid. Since all the five applicants have been invited to submit financial offers under Request for Proposal (RFP) process, there was no short listing of applicants based on evaluation of their Mopa Airport technical proposals under RFQ.
The massive Mopa Airport project to be developed in four phases is an exceptionally complex project. Therefore, there was a need for the applicants to submit their site-specific technical proposals/plans and the Project Authority should specify the detailed phase –wise project requirements for the Design Build Finance Operate Transfer (DBFOT) contract under Public Private Partnership (PPP) for Mopa airport development. The site-specific technical proposals of the applicants/bidders will have to be evaluated for short listing during the RFP process (since this has not been done during the RFQ process) with a detailed Project Information Memorandum and all other required bidding documents.
The financial offers under RFP process have to be invited from only those bidders who have been short listed based on evaluation of their site-specific technical proposals.
Due to various reasons highlighted above, the tender process for Mopa airport project must be stopped immediately. It appears the present interest in the project by applicants/bidders is mainly for getting the land parcel for massive commercial development near the Goa- Maharashtra boundary. There are enough social and civic problems in Goa due to rapid urbanisation and unplanned industrialisation .The existing problems due to the urbanisation and industrialisation mess in Goa have not been resolved.
The local population in Goa is growing at a slow rate. Under such circumstances, can we allow unsustainable commercial development projects for massive influx of migrant workers (also called tourists?) in peaceful villages for promoting the unviable Mopa Airport?
