Efforts are on to get necessary clearance from the environment ministry for construction of a new international airport in Navi Mumbai, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has said.

"The National Coastal Zone Management had also given an in-principle go-ahead for the project earlier and we are confident that the plan will go forward," Patel told reporters in Thane on Tuesday.

Patel said such a facility is needed to de-congest the existing Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai and also because the Thane-Navi Mumbai region is slated to see investments of over Rs 50,000 crore (Rs 500 billion) in the near future.

Over 1,000 hectares of land is essential for constructing the airport and Environment and Forests Ministry had earlier raised objections as the construction will involve cutting some mangroves.

The minister said studies are on regarding the feasibility of constructing airport at Nevali near Ambernath, also in Thane district.

An air strip built during the World War II exists at the site and Patel said all the local representatives including MPs and MLAs have supported the construction of an airport at the site. There were reports recently that locals had opposed such a move by the government.

Apart from the locals, some technical issues need to be sorted out in the case of Ambernath airport, Patel added.

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