Five G+6 towers on AAI radar again after Gujarat tragedy
1
2
3
4
Kolkata: The Ahmedabad plane crash has again prompted the Kolkata airport authorities to raise concerns about unauthorised structures in high-rises as threats to flights moving in and out of the city.
They have turned their focus on a high-rise complex at Bablatala, which is right across the airport wall, claiming the two top floors of the five towers pose a risk.
The airport officials said they had served seven notices on Loharuka Green Complex, asking the office-bearers to pull down the two top floors at the earliest, which included lift rooms and water tanks, as they were potential hazards in the take-off funnel.
Residents of the complex, which has 102 2 BHK and 3 BHK flats spread across five towers, said the developers had repeatedly shown documents to the airport authorities, proving none of the floors was illegal. "The top floors were sold at a higher price as they offer a view of the airport and flights landing and taking off. Why should we suddenly raze them? They are all legal. We moved the High Court last month, seeking protection and clarity," said Dhrubajyoti Biswas, president of Loharuka Greens RWA.
The AAI last sent a notice to Loharuka Green Residency Association of Apartment Owners in Jan, saying a building was constructed 357m from the original location, a site for which the airport had granted the NOC in March 2014. "Airports Authority of India, NSCBI Airport Kolkata, has identified a structure (top of the building) that is penetrating the Obstacle Limitation Surface/Obstacle Free Zone and is violating the norms against the ministry of civil aviation - (Height Restrictions for Safeguarding of Aircraft Operations) Rules, 2015, and is a potential hazard for safe aircraft operations," the order states.
It advised the association to reduce the "obstacle" height from the top —10.7 m for blocks A and B, 11.2m for blocks C and D and 6.9m for Block E.
But residents said before the construction, builders had applied for height clearance from AAI in 2013, and the NOC for the particular site was granted in March 2014 "with permissible top elevation AMSL of 35.6 m, including 6m above mean sea level, for five years". "It was only after getting the NOC that the work was completed by June 2018.
BMC issued the CC in Nov 2019. The Co-ordinate Survey of India checked and said our buildings did not come in the aircraft funnel path," said Biswas.
"Our case in the HC will be heard after the vacation."
Residents said that before the project started, by an HC order in Dec 2012, the area was demarcated by the Special Land Acquisition Officer, North 24 Parganas in Barasat, in the presence of AAI. It was only upon a demarcation and issuance of revised sanctioned plan and other documents that AAI issued a height clearance NOC. "If our buildings are an obstruction for safe aircraft operations, why did they give the NOC? This project has 100-plus flats, all of which have been sold.
The request for reducing the height is not maintainable against the developer after the CC was issued. Let the court decide," said an official.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Time of India
Uncertain of e-waste volume, Punjab starts statewide audit of sources
Chandigarh: To clamp down on and track electronic waste, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has launched a statewide mapping exercise to identify and catalogue all e-waste sources. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The initiative aims to compile a comprehensive inventory of bulk consumers, repair and dismantling units, authorised recyclers, and informal sector operators across Punjab. Electronic waste includes discarded electrical and electronic equipment—from refrigerators and washing machines to computers, mobile phones, televisions, and small appliances. Proper disposal is vital to protect public health and environment: it prevents the release of toxic substances such as lead, cadmium, and mercury into soil and water, and conserves valuable resources. In contrast, uncontrolled dumping or informal dismantling can contaminate ecosystems, harm human health, and contribute to resource depletion. At present, PPCB only receives data from industrial sources that voluntarily report their e-waste figures. Information from the informal sector and smaller generators remains largely unknown. With e-waste emerging as one of the fastest-growing waste streams, regulators see this inventory as essential to bringing unmonitored actors under formal oversight. PPCB senior officer Parveen Saluja, who oversees e-waste management, said they were in the process of engaging experienced consultants to conduct a comprehensive statewide survey on e-waste. An expression of interest (EoI) has been invited for this purpose. The survey will cover a wide range of stakeholders, including bulk consumers, service centres, repair shops, collection points, informal dismantlers, recyclers, and others involved in the e-waste ecosystem. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The selected agency will be responsible for collecting field data, compiling records, and delivering detailed reports, which will guide the state in formulating robust strategies for e-waste collection, recycling, and safe disposal. PPCB officials added the findings from this exercise will form the backbone of a state action plan on e-waste, enhance compliance monitoring, and curb illegal handling and disposal practices. They also emphasised the importance of raising awareness among consumers and informal sector workers about the hazards of improper e-waste disposal—an effort they believe will promote more responsible and sustainable practices across the board. By combining data-driven governance with grassroots engagement, Punjab hopes to establish a cleaner, more sustainable framework for managing its burgeoning e-waste challenge. BOXES Responsible handling a must Under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, every stakeholder in the e-waste lifecycle bears specific obligations to ensure responsible handling and recycling. These rules apply to all electrical and electronic equipment listed in Schedule I—along with their components and spares—and cover producers, manufacturers, importers, refurbishers, collection centres, recyclers, and bulk consumers. Rules for producers, manufacturers Producers and manufacturers must register with the Punjab Pollution Control Board, establish and finance collection systems, and guarantee environmentally sound take-back, recycling, or disposal of their products under an extended producer responsibility (EPR) framework. Authorisation must for recyclers, dismantlers Recyclers and dismantlers are required to obtain authorisation, follow prescribed processes such as safe dismantling, shredding, and material separation, and maintain detailed records of all quantities handled. Bulk consumers—large offices, institutions, and similar organisations—must channel their end-of-life equipment exclusively to authorised collection points or recyclers. By embedding these obligations throughout the e-waste chain, the rules promote a circular economy, conserve valuable resources, and mitigate the environmental and health risks posed by toxic substances in discarded electronics. NEED FOR AUDIT Uncontrolled dumping or informal dismantling can contaminate ecosystems, harm human health, and contribute to resource depletion At present, PPCB only receives data from industrial sources that voluntarily report their e-waste figures Information from the informal sector and smaller generators remains largely unknown With e-waste emerging as one of the fastest-growing waste streams, regulators see this inventory as essential to bringing unmonitored actors under formal oversight
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Time of India
Uttarakhand forest chief opts for early retirement citing personal reasons
Dehradun: The Uttarakhand govt on Saturday accepted the request for voluntary retirement of the state's head of forest force (HoFF) and principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), Dhananjai Mohan, within 24 hours of its submission. Mohan, a 1988-batch IFS officer, had cited personal reasons for seeking early retirement. He had taken charge as HoFF on May 1 last year and was due to superannuate in Aug. According to an official communication issued by the office of RK Sudhanshu, principal secretary of the forest department, the VRS was granted by invoking a relaxation of section 16(2) of the All-India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958. Sources in the department said the "request came as a surprise". Meanwhile, principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) Samir Sinha, who is also the CEO of the state's Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), has been given the additional charge of Uttarakhand's head of forest force.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Madras High Court's 133-year-old heritage building gets a new lease of life
The Madras High Court is all set to complete 163 years since its establishment on June 26, 1862 and the heritage building in which it is housed in at present will be completing 133 years since its inauguration on July 12, 1892. What better time could there be to give a new lease of life to the timeless edifice still serving as a functional building visited by thousands of litigants and lawyers on a daily basis. The High Court's building committee comprising Justices R. Subramanian, R. Suresh Kumar, P.T. Asha and N. Mala have spent considerable amount of time and energy in turning the building's ground floor, that had been neglected for decades, into a pleasant haven that brings back nostalgic memories of the past. Now, the entire two-storey building looks magnificent. According to Public Works Department (PWD) Executive Engineer S. Kulanthaiyan, the biggest challenge in undertaking the renovation work was to shift the old case records that had been stored inside the rooms on the ground floor by stacking them on very tall iron racks. 'We had to spend considerable time on shifting those case bundles and then dismantling the racks using gas welding in order to free up the rooms,' he said. After completing the exercise, repairs were carried out on the damaged walls and ceiling joints, the stone arches were restored, both interior and exterior walls were white washed, doors varnished, all gates leading to the court buildings from multiple sides were opened up, the corridors were spruced up, vintage lighting arrangements were made and the walls were decorated with acclaimed illustrator Manohar Devadoss' pencil sketches of iconic locations in Chennai city. Not just this, the committee also insisted on opening up the spiral staircases that connect the ground floor with the top floors. These spiral staircases had remained under lock and key for several years and used as a place to dump the discarded furniture and other articles. They were also kept shut due to security concerns ever since the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) began guarding the court building. However, the committee insisted on opening up the spiral staircases too and made the CISF deploy additional personnel at those entry points. Even on the exterior front, multiple standalone overhead water tanks that had been blocking the view of the heritage building were razed down and alternative arrangements were made for water supply without disturbing the classic Indo Sarcenic structure. Advocate M.R. Jothimanian said, the lawyers would always be indebted to the committee for having taken the pains to restore the glory of the heritage building. 'For us, the lawyers, this High Court building is virtually our second home because we spend most of our time over here and we know that it is not an easy job to keep such a beautiful edifice functional without turning it into a museum.'
