Tech issue to delay airport terminal work

Surat: The work to expand terminal building at Surat airport may get further delayed by a few more months as the expert appraisal committee (EAC) of ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) has raised technical issues for grant of environment clearance (EC).
At the 49th meeting held in New Delhi on February 25 -minutes of the meeting (MOM) is with TOI- the EAC recommended additional terms of reference (ToR) to be submitted by AAI authorities for getting the EC approval for expansion of terminal building at Surat airport. The EAC observed that airport authorities have not submitted certified compliance report of earlier EC granted for the existing terminal building in 2007 and the certificate from chief wildlife warden regarding the unnotified Hazira bird sanctuary.
Airport authorities had said that the expansion project does not require wildlife clearance as there was no wildlife sanctuary within 10 kilometre radius of the project site and that the unnotified Hazira bird sanctuary was at a radius of 11.2 kilometre.
Sources said MoEFCC had granted EC for the existing terminal building with certain conditions to be fulfilled like the issuance of the certified compliance report on May 16, 2007. Even after the terminal building was constructed and made operational, local authorities failed to obtain certified compliance report for the project. The terminal building of Surat airport is being extended by AAI at a cost of Rs354 Crores. The existing terminal building on an area of 8,474 square metre will be extended by additional 17,046 square metre (excluding city side and air side kerb) to have a total area of 25, 520 square metre. The present capacity of the existing terminal building is for handling 500 peak hour passengers, but the traffic has crossed 4,000 passengers per day.
When contacted, airport director Aman Saini told TOI, “A consultant has been appointed for EC process and things are being looked after by him.”
An airport activist on condition of anonymity said, “Even after 10 years, airport authorities have failed to procure certified compliance report of EC granted for the existing terminal building. Now, the EC approval will be delayed for another two months.”