BBC Learning English
Words in the News
22

nd

November 2010

New airport approved for Mumbai

Words in the News

© British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

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bbclearningenglish.com

Plans for a second airport in Mumbai have been approved. The new terminal will be built on

a site just over an hour's drive from the city centre. The Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh

insisted the development is environmentally friendly. Nidhi Dutt reports.

For many years it's been a battleground between environmentalists and developers. But

finally Navi or New Mumbai has officially been confirmed as the location for Mumbai's

second airport. Announcing his ministry's support for the development, the Environment

Minister Jairam Ramesh said authorities had already met 32 ecological conditions. The

government blocked the diversion of a local river and also sought agreement from developers

that nearby mangroves will not be destroyed. But in other ways, the ministry has softened its

stance. It's given authorities the all-clear to level a 90 metre-high hill for the construction of

two parallel runways. Mr Ramesh insisted that the development needed to be

environmentally friendly, ecologically sound and energy efficient. Areas like Navi Mumbai,

he said, had to be protected as the green lungs of India's financial capital. Once it's

completed, the authorities hope the new airport will ease air traffic congestion and entice

more people to do business in the Navi Mumbai area. Local reports say the airport will take

four years to build and by 2030 it will be able to handle 40 million passengers a year.

Nidhi Dutt, BBC News, Mumbai

Words in the News

© British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Page 2 of 2

bbclearningenglish.com

Vocabulary and definitions

environmentalists

people who want to improve and protect the natural
environment

developers

people or businesses that buy land or construct buildings,
trying to make profit

ecological conditions

rules that try to protect the environment

mangroves

trees that grow along coasts or river banks in hot countries

softened its stance

became more sympathetic in its attitude

runways

strips of land with hard surfaces which aeroplanes take off
from and land on

the green lungs

parks and outdoor spaces, which help to balance out or
fight against pollution

air traffic congestion

crowding due to large numbers of planes flying, taking off,
or landing

entice

tempt

to handle

to manage or deal with

Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2010/11/101122_witn_india_airport_page.shtml