AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
DABOLIM, VASCO: The Indian Navy has sought a fresh No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to keep the height of the flyover within limits prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
According to naval sources, the Flag Officer Goa Area (FOGA) has written to the NHAI requesting the above proposal, which could provide the much-needed relief to lakhs of people from South Goa, who are dependent on the Dabolim airport for their survival.
The Bombay High Court at Goa in its order dated February 24, 2025, on a Public Interest Litigation by Atul Pant, a retired Commander of Indian Navy stated: “ We have no doubt that the Navy will expedite the consideration of issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) if not already decided. If the decision is already taken by the Navy, the decision to be communicated forthwith and if the said decision is not taken, the same be taken in accordance with law within a period of two weeks and if necessary by giving an opportunity of a hearing.”
“The NHAI has been intimated that they cannot go ahead with the present height as they are against ICAO parameters. They have been asked to re-apply again with changes,’ confirmed the senior naval officer on the condition of anonymity.
Petitioner Pant was guarded after news of the letter to NHAI spread in South Goa. “NHAI has been going ahead with their work without NOC for a long despite requests from the Navy to approach them. Now that the letter has been sent to them, it needs to be seen whether they will oblige or resume work without the NOC.”
The letter from the Navy to NHAI, according to senior officers, is indicative that not only were NOCs not asked but that the Union Minister of Road for Transport Nitin Gadkari was given wrong information to his Unstarred Question No 1655 on August 1 , 2024 when he was asked to state, “whether the Union government had taken into consideration the height restriction in and around Dabolim Airport for planning /approving the said project and if so the details thereof.”
The answer to the Question was: “Yes Sir, the proposal has been prepared taking into consideration applicable norms including that of height restrictions in and around the Dabolim Airport.”
“The main reason to get the airport closed was to help the real estate lobby that is waiting to pounce. They would then not need to get permission from the Navy,” said a jubilant South Goa MP Viriato Fernandes.
“People are being taken for a ride by constant promises that the airport will continue. If so, why was a flyover being built without the mandatory NOC from the Navy,” wondered Fernandes.
“They are so desperate to get the airport closed for good that the NHAI actually provided false information to the Transport Minister to my questions in Parliament. Looks like they are not aware that I can raise a Privilege Motion against their minister for giving me a wrong answer,” Fernandes added.
“The High Court has come to our rescue many times and now the Navy is doing their bit for us. It is sad that Central agencies have to help us because our own government is incapable,” remarked Chetan Kamat, President of All Goa Taxi Association.
He asked: “Do they want to finish all of us who depend on the airport?”
Despite numerous attempts, the phone of Project Director of NHAI, Goa, C O P Furtado was switched off.
The NHAI started building the four-lane flyover from Zuarinagar to Bogmalo without the NOC of the Indian Navy, leaving aviation experts to believe that commercial flight operations to the airport would be doomed as approximately 1.8 to 2.2 kms of the flyover stretch from MES College to MO Goa falls under the Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS).
Since the NHAI had not responded to four letters from the Indian Navy, retired commander of the Indian Navy Atul Pant approached the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court.