Mumbai: Around 5000 residents under the guidance of MLA Krishna Hegde protested against GVK opposing their upcoming plans of modernization at Mumbai Airport which will block the roads toward western express highway, recently.

Residents from Ambedkar Nagar, Sanjay Gandhi Nagar, Sambhaji Nagar (A, B, C ward), Valmiki Nagar, Samrat Ashok Nagar, Ambewadi were the ones affected and joined the agitation.

A disrupted resident said, “We have to walk for 1.5 km to access the W E Highway and also children studying in Airport High School will suffer the same fate.”

MLA Krishna Hegde has intervened to help the affected people while MMRDA Commissioner UPS Madan also tried to salvage the situation but was unsuccessful.

It is learnt that Charudatta Deshmukh, director of Urban Planning at GVK and NR Srinivasan, the Vice President at GVK met MLA Krishna Hegde along with over hundred representatives from the residents to discuss the issue after the protest.

They have arrived at a resolution, as the GVK have agreed to build a foot over bridge before first week of March 2014 so that the residents could get access to the W E Highway and nearby areas.

After successfully sorting the matters out MLA Krishna Hegde said, “It is a victory for the residents of the area and the Footover Bridge will be beneficial for over 20000 people of the area.”

The Prime Minister is inaugurating Airport Terminal 2 on January 10, 2014 and work of the Flyover has to be completed before that, while the Foot-over Bridge will be built by March 2014