PANJIM/VASCO : Following the Herald report on the naval authorities to control development with 20-kilometers radius of Dabolim airport, South Goa Collectorate officials said the rule is applicable only for Mormugao taluka while the Airport Authority of India has said the rules existed for a long time .
The Airports Authority of India Goa Airport Director B.C.H. Negi has while reacting to the report of District Collectors order on construction around 20 kms radius of Airport he said the rules were very old.
“The regulation has been there in force for a long time. It also mandates to take No Objection Certification from concerned airport. The regulation was very old and it has been in force all time” he said.
“Whenever an airliner is coming to an airport it approaches at a lower altitude. High rise structure in the zone of the landing will cause safety concerns. It will cause limitations to the Airport Operations” said Negi.
South Goa Collectorate official on condition of anonymity said that the rules are in force only for Mormugao taluka.
“It’s a mistake that the core or specific point of rule applicable for Mormugao taluka only has been missed in the circular issued. There is no need to panic as the rule is applicable for only Mormugao,” said an official on condition of anonymity.
The official said the circular was issued as there were lot of complaints of haphazard development around airport and during meetings the naval officials kept on pointing out the central government rules were existing and only needed to be implemented.
When pointed out that the 20-km radius covers even part of BArdez, Salcete, Mormugao and Ponda talukas, official clarified, “once the navy prepared the colour coded maps there would be no requirement of NOC as the maps will be submitted to MPDA and panchayats and they can clear constructions based on the maps.”
The air traffic of Goa Airport easily clocks 70 flights take off and land at present and the same is expected to rise by atleast 30% in Goa. More importantly the Naval Airport is also a strategic location as far as security is concerned.
The news of a construction planned right outside the end of the airstrip of Goa had raised the issue after which the Navy had written to the Government asking for their response on the same.
This has prompted the order from Collectorate for Navy control over construction.
