India, March 18 -- Opposition to the state government's Navi Mumbai International Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA) project has taken a legal turn, with five villages under the Chipale Group Panchayat (CGP) in Panvel filing a writ petition in the Bombay High Court seeking to quash the scheme. This marks the first legal challenge against the controversial urban development plan.

NAINA is a planned city spanning 225.59 square kilometres and covering 94 villages around the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport. The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has been designated as the special planning authority for the project.

The petition was filed by Vilas Phadke, a former Zilla Parishad member and resident of Vihigha...