Court Orders DGCA To Act On Illegal Obstacles Near Mumbai Airport
Court orders DGCA to act on illegal constructions around Mumbai Airport
The Bombay High Court on Thursday ordered the Directorate General Of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to issue notices to 112 buildings that are in violation of civil aviation safety norms.
These are structures that are close to the crucial approach climb surfaces of the two runways at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), Mumbai. The approach climb surface, also know as the funnel in aviation terminology , is an area close to the two ends of a runway , where aircraft are considered to be at their most vulnerable.
The notices have to be issued within a period of three months, said the court.
The list of structures that are in violation of rules was provided by the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) to the courts. These buildings pose a serious threat to aircraft landing and taking off at the airport, MIAL said in court.
The Bench comprising of Justice Kanade and Justice Sonak was hearing a petition filed by lawyer and activist Yeshwanth Shenoy, who has made several prayers related to the safety of passengers and residents living in the vicinity of the airport. The petitioner told BloombergQuint that 112 obstacles in such a critical area is unprecedented.
The Bench also ordered the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC) not to issue occupation certificates to buildings within a four kilometer radius of the runways at CSIA before determining whether they fall within the prescribed height limit. The court ordered the BMC to be vigilant of protrusions such as lift rooms or television antennae, which exceeded the permissible height.
The height of these buildings must be measured from mean sea level (MSL) and not from the geographical elevation at which a structure is built, the court added. MIAL, however, pointed out that such measurements require specialized equipment and expertise which the BMC may not have. In response, the Bench instructed the BMC to either procure or outsource such equipment.
Other prayers in the petition will be heard on September 20.
