"The distance from the city and other projects make the airport project unviable," Mumbai University professor Ritu Dewan, who has done an in-depth analysis on the issue in her recently released book--Runways Across Villages, said.

"It is not a suitable location as it takes around four hours to reach there from Mumbai by road," she said, adding that building a harbour link will also be expensive and unviable. The fact that it is close to the RCF project and the naval dockyard will also be another hurdle.

"Instead of building another airport so far away from the present one, expansion of the presentairport would not only be more convenient but also economical," said former managing director of Air India DS Mathur. "From the logistics point of view, a lot of duplication of facilities will be required and this huge cost can be saved if the additional runways are made at the present airport," he said.

Instead of evacuating many self-employed people, the government should acquire large areas of illegally occupied land near the airport, said George John from Rewas Alibag Mandwa Association (RAMA),

There are people who doubt the government's intention of building the airport in the first place. "This is just a way to take away land from the locals while the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the Hindujas could see another project here," they said.

Others also believe that the project is politically motivated. "There are some influential people who have purchased land nearby and any such project will be profitable for these owners as the land price will go up," they said.

"The project willnot add to development of these areas as the needs of the residents is different," said Dewan. These farmers and fisherfolk, skilled in their specialised profession, would not be able to fine suitable sources of income by the compensation money, she added.

Even as the AAI is finalising the site for the project, the 14 villages in the area want an assurance that Mandwa-Rewas is not in the consideration, said Ralli Jecob from 14 Village Shetkari & Machimar Bachav Andolan Samiti.

A committee, set up by the ministry of civil aviation to examine the issue of the new international project, will submit its report shortly. The options under its consideration include an airport at Navi Mumbai, Mhapan at Sindhudurg district, Rewas-Mandwa or upgradation and modernisation of the existing airport at Mumbai.

The project was initially announced around three years ago and has been opposed ever since by the local population of over 13,000 people, majority of which are either fishermen or farmers.