Team Herald

VASCO: For almost two years now the desperately needed multi-level parking at Dabolim Airport is not being commissioned due to security reasons, but on the other side of the airport an excavator has been digging incessantly for a week and no action has been taken by the authorities.

Just after taking the Bogmalo road from the junction on NH17B, there is an excavator digging touching the airport wall. The irony is that nobody knows the purpose of the digging.

When Herald questioned the JCB operators, they said, “We don’t know anything.” Asked to stop and show permissions, the operators shot back, “Who are you? Why should we stop?”

There are also no details displayed at the site, which is mandatory for any project under the Town and Country Planning Act. Interestingly, the area seems to come tight under the funnel zone of the airport.

Social activist Edwin Mascarenhas told Herald that the digging has been going on for a long time now and nobody knows the purpose. “I have seen work going on with excavators. There is no signboard as per TCP Act, no details of project of licences from Navy, Health, Panchayat etc,” he said.

Asked whether the area comes under the funnel zone, Mascarenhas said, “We do not know. I had asked the Navy under the Right to Information but they have not given the details of the funnel zone.

While officials in the Navy and the Airport Authority of India were unavailable for comment, sources informed Herald that the Admiral had asked his officers for an inquiry into the project and report back to him.

Even as the excavator is digging with a loud sound throughout the day Chicalim sarpanch Sebastian Pereira claims ignorance of any such digging underway. “Nobody has brought it to my notice or complained and as such I am not aware of that,” he said adding, “I will just check and get back to you.”

Interestingly, Herald inquiries have indicated a political figure’s involvement in the project and hence the authorities are shying away from acting.

What is surprising is the fact that the Navy and the AAI is also trying to ignore the issue as it is also concerns the issue of security.

Moreover, just on the other side a legally built building of multi-level car park is denied permission to start operations. Sources in the AAI say the car parking will open after AAI builds a blast protection wall between the facility and the airport’s terminal bays. 

Defence Research and Development Organisation, which conducted a blast impact assessment, recommended building of a blast protection wall.

The Rs 50-crore parking facility was built three years ago but could not be opened for public as the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security refused to grant clearance citing security issues. 

Union Civil Aviation Minister had recently said, “The 

bureau of civil aviation security would grant cleared to MLCP (multi-level car park) after incorporating DRDO’s recommendations.” 

If AAI’s own building is not being allowed permission to operate, how can an illegal construction be allowed to come up in such close vicinity of the airport.