New Delhi, Aug 26 (IANS): Trying to placate Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh after a row over the proposed Navi Mumbai airport, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel Thursday said he would work "closely" with "my friend" to move ahead with the project.

"We are trying for the second airport in Mumbai to meet the growing air traffic. My friend and cabinet colleague (Ramesh) is sitting here and we will move forward together. Whatever the newspapers may say, we are trying to do it together," Patel said in the Lok Sabha.

He was trying to mollify Ramesh after the environment minister last month refused to give a nod to an airport in Navi Mumbai saying its construction would damage mangrove cultivation in nearly 2,000 hectares.

As Patel pointed towards Ramesh, the environment minister smiled back and nodded his head in agreement, inviting laughter from Patel's party colleague Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Patel was replying to a question on the expansion of the existing Mumbai airport, which he said was underway.

But, he said, it could be upgraded only after rehabilitation of nearly 80,000 slum dwellers, which was one of the conditions while handing over the airport to a private party.

On the congestion at the Delhi airport and time consumed to reach the terminal after landing, Patel said the new T3 runway would commence domestic operations by mid- or end-October which would address the problem.