Panaji, March 12 (IANS): Union Minister Environment and Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar on Thursday announced that the upcoming Mopa international airport in North Goa has been granted the much awaited environment approval.

Javadekar in his tweet also said the greenfield airport would pave the way for tourism overall development of the region.

"I am happy to announce that today i have given Environmental approval for Greenfield Mopa International Airport in #Goa. This will pave way for overall development for the region and give boost to tourism in the state," Javadekar tweeted.

The development comes on a day when Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was in the national capital and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss several issues related to the development projects in the state, including the ongoing inter-state dispute over the Mhadei river with Karnataka, the ongoing mining impasse as well as the construction of the Mopa airport.

The first phase of the airport was scheduled to be commissioned by September 3, 2020, but due to litigation in the Supreme Court, filed by activists who had alleged illegal felling of trees at the airport site, the completion schedule has been delayed by several months.

The airport is being construction through a joint venture between GMR and the Goa government.

In its first phase the airport is expected to cater to 4.5 million passengers and at the end of fourth phase its pax handling capacity is expected to be 13 million.