The recent crash of Air India’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (Flight AI 171) in Ahmedabad, which claimed multiple lives on the ground, has triggered fresh fears among residents living near Goa’s Dabolim airport. Concerns are mounting over the mushrooming of high-rise buildings – many reportedly constructed without mandatory naval clearances – within the critical funnel zone of the airport.
Despite a clear directive from the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court on February 28, 2018, ordering the demolition of unauthorised structures in Survey No 60/2 and other areas, construction activities continue unabated. The court had warned against developments lacking No Objection Certificates (NOC) from the Indian Navy, yet enforcement has been sluggish.
In a strongly worded judgment, Justices M S Sonak and M S Jawalkar cited multiple communications from the Flag Officer of the Indian Navy dating back to 2015. The officer had repeatedly raised red flags about illegal constructions in Chicalim Village, particularly those attributed to developers Dinesh Nadar and Kamla Prasad Yadav.
These warnings, addressed to local authorities including the Mormugao Port Development Authority (MPDA), the Chicalim Panchayat, and the State government, were largely ignored, according to the court.
According to advocate Barbara Zuzarte, who represents Alexander Michael, petitioner of Writ Petition 10 of 2018: “It is extremely saddening that the authorities are not willing to execute the orders of the High Court. All they say is demolition orders are being pursued when the issue is serious. We had to file a Contempt Petition in 2021 and yet they are dragging their feet. If they respect the courts, they should have demolished the structures.”
Petitioner Alexander Michael alleges that political backing may be shielding the violators. “These buildings are being approved without naval permission, and occupancy certificates are being issued with impunity. The local MLA is clearly complicit,” he claimed.
MPDA Member Secretary Sanjay Halarnekar countered this, stating that some demolition work has already been undertaken and more is in the pipeline. “We are committed to implementing court directives. The process is complex and time-consuming,” he said, though he could not explain the years-long delay.
Documents accessed by O Heraldo, including "Reports on Obstacles Infringing Obstacle Limitation Surfaces (OLS) around Dabolim Airport" prepared by the Indian Navy, reveal that several buildings have been granted occupancy without securing the necessary NOC. The High Court noted that Kamla Prasad Yadav, now Sarpanch of Chicalim Panchayat and a former deputy sarpanch and MPDA member, was directly linked to at least one such construction.
In his defence, Yadav denied any wrongdoing. “I have not built anything in the funnel zone without Navy permission. These are baseless allegations by my political opponents. There are many buildings that have come up around the periphery of the airport. The big building with my company’s name is not in the funnel zone. You can ask the Navy,” Yadav claimed.
However, officials familiar with the matter contest this claim. When asked specifically about structures linked to Yadav, MPDA's Halarnekar responded evasively: “Demolition works on some of those structures have not been carried out for certain reasons, which I can explain in person.”
A senior Indian Navy officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed frustration: “We’ve issued multiple notices. These constructions violate both safety norms and the law.”
The High Court further admonished authorities for failing to address serious allegations made not just by the petitioner, but also by the Flag Officer of the Navy.
“Rather than focusing upon questioning bonafides of the Petitioner, these statutory authorities, should have responded to the serious charges of inaction made not only by the Petitioner, but by the Flag Officer, particularly in relation to the constructions undertaken by one Dinesh Nadar and Kamla Prasad Yadav (Builder),” reads part of the judgment.
The consequences of these oversights are now being felt on the ground. Residents of several high-rise buildings near Dabolim airport report growing anxiety. “We were shown an occupancy certificate and assumed everything was legal. Only later did we discover our building is in a funnel zone and exceeds the permitted number of floors,” said one apartment owner, requesting anonymity.
“We’ve been assured everything will be resolved — but we’re living in fear,” she added, her concern evident.