Navi Mumbai International Airport project: Will shift only after the construction of temple, say remaining families

The Laxmi-Narayan temple in Kohli village. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)

THE DELAY in the reconstruction of a 105-year-old Laxmi-Narayan temple is what appears to be a hurdle in rehabilitating nearly 100 families residing at Kohli village in Navi Mumbai, who have to move out to make way for the construction of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). While over 50 per cent of the families in the village have shifted to Pushpaknagar — the designated spot where the project-affected families are supposed to shift — the rest said that they would move after their deities find a new home.

The City Industrial and Development Corporation (CIDCO) had offered the residents of Kohli an additional Rs 500 per sq ft for their land if they moved out by April, Rs 300 per sq ft if shifted by May and Rs 100 per sq ft if they moved by June. Later, CIDCO extended this package and offered the families an additional Rs 500 per sq ft provided they moved out before July 7. Following this, since May, at least 200 of the total 300 families have shifted.

However, people staying around the Laxmi-Narayan temple in Kohli have refused to shift until a new temple is constructed at Pushpaknagar. “Our childhood was spent in attending evening prayers at the temple. This place is the focal point of our religious life. While others may have shifted for money, some of us refuse to shift unless a new temple is built,” said Ravi Bhoir, a resident.

To build the temple, the local residents had conducted a boomi pujan in Pushpaknagar on July 4. The delay in receiving clearance certificate (CC) from CIDCO to build the temple has led to delay in the shifting process, they claimed.

“The CIDCO has offered close to Rs 1 crore for re-building each temple… from this fund, it has offered us Rs 50 lakh. But it is yet to give us a clearance certificate to start work on the temple. While our design for the temple is ready, we are stuck. Unless the new temple is built, shifting would not be possible,” Bhai Naik, another resident. The CIDCO’s target is to complete one runway and a terminal building to start flight operations at the new airport by December 2019. As Kolhi falls on the area mapped for the runway to be built by next year, the CIDCO wants the villagers to evacuate. Local residents claimed another eight months is needed to construct the temple.

“Those who had shifted also visited the temple during Vat Purnima and other occasions. We are not so selfish to take the package, pull down our homes and leave. Even if CIDCO removes us from here, we will build the new temple and only then move out,” Naik said.

A senior CIDCO official said, “They have only applied for the CC now, so clearing the same will take time. However, we would process the certificate very soon. Also, we will grant the entire amount for the new temple after they start construction work.”

Till now, none of the other nine villages affected by the construction of the airport have pulled down their temples. Further, the locals are demanding jobs for the educated youth of the village and inclusion of some residents who were left out earlier in the rehabilitation package.