SHASHANKSHEKHAR MUMBAI. MARCH 22 THE developers of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) are likely to get some breathing space from encroaching slums as 20,000 of the 8,50,000 families inhabiting the area arc expected to be relocated by November, according to real estate developer Housing Development & Infrastructure Limited ( HDI L). "The first phase of the project will be over by November and we will be relocating 20,000 families then," HDIL managing director Sarang Wadhwa said. However, the families to be shifted in the first phase to the 53acre Kurla plot, of which 40 acres will be used for rehabilitation, are yet to be identified. According to a Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) spokesperson, it depends on the areas where they live. "We have identified some key priority areas," he said. The encroached area around the airport totals 276 acres of prime real estate and the resettlement project has received flak in the past from even Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel for its slow progress. But, an MIAL official said they have time till 2011 - four years after taking over the project -- to complete the rehabilitation and things are running as per schedule. Also, according to Wadhwa, the land for the second phase, which targets resettlement of 30,000 families, has been identified. While MIAL officials did not reveal the `specific pockets' from where the families will be rehabilitated in the first-phase, an official said the probable areas include slums in Kalina and Vile Parle. "We need these areas for constructing the parallel taxiways," he said. However, ground realities paint a different picture as many are sceptical whether the HDIL will be able to meet the November deadline. "With the ongoing slowdown in real estate, it's very difficult to set target dates," said an official associated with the project. The HDIL, had bought the Premier Automobiles Kurla property through a debt of Rs 1,900 crore while recent reports had mentioned that the largest landowner of Mumbai is in a debt of over Rs., 3,000 crore.