Team Herald
PANJIM: About 78 per cent work of the Mopa greenfield airport has been completed by April 30 as it is now scheduled for commissioning in August this year.
According to Director of Civil Aviation Suresh Shanbhogue, the runway is ready while, the ATC technical building and tower has been handed over to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) for their installation and only the external finishing work of the tower is in progress. “Similarly the structure of the passenger terminal building, which is the third important component of the airport, is ready and its internal works is in progress”, he said.
Also the construction of 6.5-km-long six-lane expressway connectivity by M/s Ashoka Buildcon is in programme and it is likely to be completed by October 2023. Till then the existing approach road will serve as connectivity to the Mopa airport.
The Goa State Biodiversity Board has so far planted 4.6 lakh saplings in and around Mopa airport and at various locations as against the target of plating of five lakh saplings for the trees felled for the construction of the airport.
The construction work of the international airport was delayed by 638 days due to restraints by various courts and another 90 days were lost due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The concessionaire — GMR Goa International Airport Ltd has to now complete the construction work and commission the airport by August 28 this year.
The concession agreement between the Goa government and the GMR Goa International Airport Ltd was signed on November 8, 2016 while, the foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 13, 2016 and the actual work of the airport commenced from September 4, 2017. The estimated cost of the airport project also increased Rs 2650 crore due to time overrun.
