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Hindustan Times
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Centre notifies draft rules to clear obstacles near airports
The central government issued draft rules on Wednesday to regulate and remove physical obstructions around airports, six days after the devastating Air India crash in Ahmedabad, the deadliest in three decades, as authorities separately spoke of plans to survey structures near the city's airport for potential safety violations. The Aircraft (Demolition of Obstructions Caused by Buildings and Trees etc.) Rules, 2025, were notified on June 18 under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, and are open for public feedback for 21 days. The rules aim to replace the three-decade-old Aircraft (Demolition of Obstructions) Rules, 1994. Under the proposed framework, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will have expanded authority to take action against any structure violating height restrictions around airports. 'Any building or tree that violates notified height restrictions around airports may face demolition or height reduction orders from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA),' the draft rules state. The regulations establish a detailed enforcement mechanism where airport authorities must notify owners of potential violations and conduct physical verification. Property owners will be required to submit structural details within 60 days, with a possible 60-day extension if granted. 'If the DGCA determines, after providing an opportunity for a hearing, that a building or tree violates safety norms, an order can be issued for its demolition, trimming, or reduction in height,' the draft states. In cases of non-compliance, district collectors will be authorised to enforce demolition procedures, treating violations as unauthorised construction under local law. 'On receiving the report from the officer-in-charge of the aerodrome, the district collector shall carry out forthwith the demolition of the building or the cutting of the tree or reduction in height of the building... in the same manner and by the same procedure as is followed in case of demolition of any unauthorized construction in his district,' the rules specify. The draft rules come as authorities prepare to conduct a comprehensive survey around Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport following last week's crash. According to PTI, Ahmedabad district collector Sujeet Kumar told reporters that 'a survey of areas surrounding the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport here will be conducted by the officials of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and the Civil Aviation department.' 'Once the survey gets over, subsequent necessary work will be initiated,' Kumar said. The collector cited the new draft rules as providing the framework for potential action against structures posing threats to aircraft safety. Some analysts cautioned that while many airports around the country have buildings nearby that violate height norms, following through with an actual demolition will be hard. 'While it's easy to make rules, it will be next to impossible to implement them,' given the scale of non-conforming structures, said Mark Martin, founder and CEO at Martin Consulting, an aviation advisory firm, Bloomberg reported. An official at the Delhi airport said a survey will be initiated to identify obstructions in the Capital by both the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the directorate general of civil aviation. 'The Air Traffic Control (ATC) directly reports to the AAI and so it will share information on possible obstructions. Both AAI and DGCA will also do their own surveys,' said the official, pointing to a similar exercise done in 2018 when 369 obstructions were identified, including trees, poles and buildings. 'Subsequently, AAI also took action against these obstructions,' the airport official added. Compensation provisions are limited under the proposed new framework. 'Compensation may be available but only for compliant or pre-existing structures. New constructions violating notified height restrictions will not be eligible,' the rules specify. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a medical hostel complex in Meghaninagar area moments after take-off on June 12, killing all but one of the 242 people aboard and 29 others on the ground. The aircraft departed Ahmedabad airport at 1:39 PM on June 12, with the pilot issuing a Mayday distress call shortly after take-off before the plane crashed into the medical complex located outside the airport compound.
Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
Air India plane crash: Bird-attracting sites near airports must be closed, demands animal rights group while flagging past data of Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad
Image credit: PTI NEW DELHI: With investigators looking into if a bird strike, among other reasons, caused an Air India plane crash near the Ahmedabad airport, an animal rights group on Thursday wrote to the director general of civil aviation seeking immediate nationwide enforcement of a rule that prohibits bird-attracting establishments, such as slaughterhouses, meat shops, dairies and garbage dumps, within 10 km of an airport. The People for Animals (PFA) Public Policy Foundation demanded strict compliance of Rule 91 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, at every airport and licensed aerodrome to mitigate the growing bird strike-threat to aviation safety and public life by closing down such establishments. In its letter to the DGCA, flagging the govt's response in Rajya Sabha in 2023, the organisation highlighted the Ahmedabad airport's troubling record that includes 319 documented bird/animal (wildlife) strikes between Jan 2018 and Oct 2023, ranking it the third most-affected airport nationally after Delhi (710) and Mumbai (352). It said in 2023, Ahmedabad reported 81 bird/animal strikes, representing a 107% increase from the previous year. Sharing the data in Rajya Sabha on Dec 18, 2023, the govt had, however, underlined that no plane had crashed due to bird strike in the last five years and only one occurrence had been reported wherein an aircraft made an emergency landing due to bird strike at the Kolkata airport in 2021. Referring to a bird/animal strike data analysis, the govt had told the upper House that the maximum number of strikes occurred during the landing and takeoff phases. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Noting that bird/animal strikes surged from 167 incidents in 2006 to 1,125 in 2022 nationally, the foundation in its letter highlighted that the national bird strike rate in 2022 stood at 9.14 per 10,000 aircraft movements. It was more than double the safety performance target of 4.26 set by the National Aviation Safety Plan 2018-22. The target was reiterated in the subsequent plan too. 'We can't keep calling these tragedies 'unforeseen' when the warnings have been clear for years. The Ahmedabad airport alone had 319 documented incidents, every single one was a red flag,' said Gauri Maulekhi, trustee and member secretary of PFA Public Policy Foundation. The letter to the DGCA also flagged that the recently enacted Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, further emphasises the law by imposing strict penalties of up to three years imprisonment and fines of up to Rs 1 crore for any contravention of Rule 91. Pitching for strict enforcement of the existing laws/rules, Maulekhi said, 'The laws we have aren't suggestions, they are meant to protect people's lives. If these laws had been properly enforced and these establishments had been shut down, maybe this tragedy could have been prevented. It's time the DGCA issues clear, binding orders to states and local authorities to finally address this problem head-on.' The PFA in its letter claimed that slaughterhouses, meat shops, dairies, piggeries and waste dumping sites continue to operate in large numbers within the vicinity of major airports across the country despite the clear statutory prohibition. Citing examples, it said the Jamalpur slaughterhouse and Asarwa fish market are located close to the airport in Ahmedabad. Delhi, which reports the highest cumulative number of bird/animal strikes nationally, is surrounded by more than 500 such establishments as documented in recent surveys and site visitations, it added. 'Similar conditions persist in Mumbai and other major cities, where these activities act as a constant attractant for large populations of scavenging birds and contribute directly to the escalating risk of bird strikes,' PFA said. "We already have clear laws and years of data showing us exactly what the problem is. What we are missing is accountability and enforcement. If we are serious about preventing more tragedies like this, we need immediate action: enforce the law, close these illegal establishments, and publicly track compliance so people can see real progress. That's the only way the public will believe our skies are safe again,' said Mihir Dawar, policy specialist at the Foundation.
News18
a day ago
- General
- News18
Govt Moves To Tighten Safety Near Airports, Releases Draft Rules For Demolition Of Obstructions
Last Updated: In case of continued non-compliance, the matter will be referred to the District Collector, who must ensure the necessary action is taken. In a decisive response to the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has issued draft rules aimed at regulating structures that pose risks near airports. Titled the Aircraft (Demolition of Obstructions) Rules, 2025, the draft was released on June 18 and will come into force once notified in the official gazette. The rules empower aerodrome authorities to act against buildings or trees that exceed permissible height limits in designated airport zones. 'Where any notification has been issued by the Central Government under sub-section (1) of section 18 of the Act… the officer-in-charge of the aerodrome concerned shall serve a copy of the notification on the owner of the building or tree," the draft states. If a structure violates these norms, owners will be required to submit details, including site plans and dimensions within sixty days. Non-compliance could trigger enforcement action such as demolition or height reduction. The officer-in-charge will also forward violations to the Director General or authorised officers. Authorities will be allowed to physically verify the site after providing reasonable prior notice. 'He shall be empowered to enter the premises… during daylight hours," the draft notes, adding that the owner must cooperate. In case of continued non-compliance, the matter will be referred to the District Collector, who must ensure the necessary action is taken. Appeals can be made to designated officers with a Rs 1,000 fee. However, compensation will only be considered for those complying with orders under section 22 of the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024. Public feedback on the draft has been invited within twenty days of its publication. On June 12, Air India flight AI-171—a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to London—crashed shortly after takeoff, hitting the BJ Medical College complex in Ahmedabad. The crash killed 241 of the 242 onboard, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. First Published: June 19, 2025, 14:54 IST
The Print
a day ago
- General
- The Print
Post Air India crash, Centre's new draft rules aim to regulate buildings & trees around airports
The draft rules mandate that if there is non-compliance of the orders within the specified time frame by the Director General of Civil Aviation or the owners of the buildings or the trees, District Collector shall carry out demolition of the building or the cutting of the tree or reduction in height of the building, as the case may be, in the same manner and by the same procedure as is followed in case of demolition of any unauthorised construction in a district. On 12 June, a London bound Air India flight, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed in Ahmedabad. Of the 242 people on board, 241 died. The crash also killed people on ground, including students of the BJ Medical College taking the death toll to at least 270. New Delhi: The Ministry of Civil Aviation Wednesday proposed draft rules titled Aircraft (Demolition of Obstructions Buildings and Trees etc.) Rules, 2025, aimed at tightening control over illegal buildings and trees near airports, in the aftermath of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad. The Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, empowers the Central government to prohibit or regulate the construction of buildings, planting of trees etc. near aerodromes. The proposed rules mandate that if the Central government has issued a notification and the in-charge of the relevant aerodrome believes that a building or tree violates its provisions, they must provide a copy of the notification to the owner. The officer in charge of the aerodrome should also immediately report these violations to the Director General or an authorised officer. The owner of the building or tree must, within a period of 60 days, provide the details sought, including a plan showing the location of the building or tree, and disclosing the dimensions or any other details specified in the order by the DGCA. The Director General may increase the 60-day limit upon submission of reasonable grounds. Failure to comply with the norms may result in the details submitted by the Aerodrome Operator being considered final. The information provided by the owner will be forwarded by the aerodrome in-charge to the DGCA along with his or her comments. 'Before forwarding the details to the Director General, the officer-in-charge of the aerodrome shall satisfy himself about the correctness of the details and, for that purpose, he shall be empowered to enter the premises in question and carry out physical verification of the dimensions of the building or tree, as the case may be, during daylight hours and with reasonable prior notice to the owner, who shall be duty bound to extend full cooperation during such physical verification,' the draft rules say. Upon these verifications, the DG or any officer authorised by him can order the owner to demolish the building, cut the tree, or reduce their heights. The order will also set a deadline and, if height reduction is required, it will specify the allowed height. The owner can claim compensation unless the constructions have been made after the issuance/publishing of this notification in the Official Gazette. (Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri) Also read: Air India crash: Students & doctors suffered Rs 2.69 cr in losses, Gujarat govt to raise claim
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Govt issues draft rules for demolishing obstructions near airports
The government has issued draft rules to regulate and remove obstructions such as buildings and trees that interfere with aircraft operations around airports. The draft Aircraft (Demolition of Obstructions Caused by Buildings and Trees, etc) Rules, 2025, were released under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, on Wednesday. They are open to public feedback for 21 days. The proposed rules seek to replace the Aircraft (Demolition of Obstructions) Rules, 1994, and will come into force on the date of their publication. They empower the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to act against any structure violating height restrictions specified in government notifications. 'Under the proposed rules, any building or tree that violates notified height restrictions around airports may face demolition or height reduction orders Owners will be served notices, required to submit building or tree details, and cooperate with physical inspections by airport authorities,' says the draft, a copy of which HT has seen. Airport authorities will be required to notify the owner and conduct physical verification when such obstructions are identified. 'Owners will be required to submit structural details within 60 days, or an additional 60 days if an extension is granted,' says the draft. 'If the DGCA determines, after providing an opportunity for a hearing, that a building or tree violates safety norms, an order can be issued for its demolition, trimming, or reduction in height.' In cases of non-compliance, the district collector will be authorised to enforce demolition or trimming procedures for the obstructions that will be treated as unauthorised construction. 'On receiving the report from the officer-in-charge of the aerodrome, the district collector shall carry out forthwith the demolition of the building or the cutting of the tree or reduction in height of the building, as the case may be, in the same manner and by the same procedure as is followed in case of demolition of any unauthorised construction...' Aggrieved individuals may file appeals to designated appellate officers using a prescribed form and fee. Final orders have to be complied with within 60 days. The proposed rules say that the compensation may be available only for compliant or pre-existing structures. New constructions violating notified height restrictions will not be eligible for compensation.
