Times of India: Surat: Sunday, June 03, 2018.
Even after
four months of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) chairman Guruprasad
Mohapatra intimating to check violations of the no-objection certificates
(NOCs) for height clearance issued by AAI and to reduce the height of
identified buildings to permissible limit for smooth operation of runway at
Surat airport, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) is yet to take any action
in this regard.
A copy of
letter written by Mohapatra to SMC in February-2018, obtained under the Right
To Information (RTI) Act, clearly stated that the concerned municipal
corporation and the airport operator have to ensure that buildings are
regulated as per the notification.
The height of
buildings obstructing the runway at Surat airport have to be demolished in
order to restore the threshold of runway on Vesu side for smooth operation of
flights.
The letter
further stated that AAI has noticed that many builders in the airport vicinity
have constructed high-rises in violation of NoC issued by AAI. Also, the site
data coordinates and elevation certificates issued by PWD department of the
Government of Gujarat were wrong, resulting in grant of more height to many
buildings.
These
violations have impacted the Surat airport runway operations and the threshold
of runway on Vesu side has to be displaced by 615 metre to ensure safe aircraft
operations at the airport. Further, AAI’s plan to accommodate bigger aircrafts
at the airport has been jeopardized.
Mohapatra
stated that AAI has already initiated action under aircraft (demolition of
obstruction caused by buildings and tree) rule 1994 against 18 such buildings
and notices have been served to the concerned buildings. As per the Government
of India notification GSR-751 (E), it is the joint responsibility of the
municipal corporation and the airport operator to ensure that buildings are
regulated as per the notification.
Talking to
TOI, additional city engineer, urban town planning, Ketan Patel said, “After we
received the letter from AAI chairman, meetings were held with AAI officials
from New Delhi and Surat. SMC doesn’t come in the picture at all. The action
has to be taken by AAI. In fact, AAI was supposed to carry out the resurvey of
the buildings.”
RTI activist
Rajesh Modi said, “AAI, SMC and DGCA are busy in playing passing the buck game
and thus the development of airport is put on the tenterhooks. Recently, DGCA
approved the use of 2,290 metre runway, but still the 615 metre runway is kept
under displacement due to the obstruction by 18 buildings.”