Mumbai, Jan 14 (IANS): Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said that the Airports Authority of India has decided to relocate the high-frequency airport radar, currently located at Dahisar, to Gorai in the north-western suburbs of Mumbai. He added that the decision has also received approval from the Union Minister for Civil Aviation.

In a post on X, the Chief Minister said: “The state government had already taken a decision to provide land at Gorai for this purpose. Thank you, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu. This decision has paved the way for redevelopment in this area.”

During the winter session, the Chief Minister had announced in the state Assembly on December 13 last year the relocation of high-frequency radar centres located at Dahisar and Juhu to enable redevelopment of buildings in these areas.

“There are high-frequency radar centres located at Dahisar and Juhu. Redevelopment of buildings in the areas surrounding these radar centres is currently impossible due to height restrictions imposed by the centres. To resolve this, the government has decided to relocate these high-frequency radar centres to other technically suitable locations,” he said.

CM Fadnavis stated that the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) have agreed to relocate the Dahisar radar to Gorai.

“The Government of Maharashtra has expressed its readiness to bear the cost of this relocation and provide alternate land to the Government of India. The land in Gorai will be transferred to the Government of India free of cost. In return, the AAI will utilise 60 per cent of its land in Dahisar for a public garden,” he added.

Further, Union Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal, who is also MP from North Mumbai, in December last year said that the relocation of the high-frequency airport radar, currently located at Dahisar, to Gorai would push housing and redevelopment projects in Dahisar, Magathane and Borivali that have been stalled for several years. With this move, an area of approximately 6 km will be opened up for long-pending housing development.

Union Minister Goyal said that over the next few years, an estimated 50,000 homes will be constructed or redeveloped, paving the way for pakka homes with basic amenities and generating large-scale employment. The decision was announced this evening following an important meeting.

He added: “This was not an easy issue. After many years of consistent follow-up, this historic decision has become possible through close coordination between the Central and state governments. In the coming months, all stalled projects will begin at a rapid pace, and North Mumbai will move forward towards becoming an ‘Uttam Mumbai’.”

–IANS

sj/pgh