Team Herald
PANJIm: The government has approved the reduction runway length from 3,750 to 3,500 metres, as recommended by the Independent Engineer report, so as to comply with the Statutory Operational Standards of the Mopa Airport project.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
As per the Cabinet note, the Concession Agreement was signed on November 8 2016. Subsequent to this, ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) amended a clause ‘Radio Navigation Aids’, which resulted in additional land requirement on both sides of the runway to meet the operational and safety requirements at the airport.
“In this regard, the concessionaire wide letter dated December 14, 2018, indicated additional land requirement of 4,318 sq mtrs on North-West side of airport (Runway 27), which is reserved forest,” it said.
It further says that the additional land requirement was not envisaged in the concessionaire agreement. As providing forest land is difficult, hence the Concessionaire was requested to re-examine the matter to explore alternate options so as to avoid requirement of additional land on the eastern side of the airport without compromising the performance of the airport.
Accordingly the Concessionaire re-worked on the requirement of land and submitted a report which was referred to an independent engineer.
The Independent Engineer examined implication of this proposal in terms of design implications and operational Implications. The engineer has observed that with reduction of runway length of 3,750 mtrs to 3,500 mtrs the issues with respect to land requirement on northeast side (Runway 27) stands resolved.
The engineer further indicated that 450 sqms (5mx100m) on the North East side of the airport is required, which can be added as and when the land can be made available.
“Operational limitations if any owing to this shall be taken care of by AAI, who shall control the Air traffic at the airport. Further, the Independent Engineer has indicated that some of the trees infringing with approach surface and with approach lighting plane need to be trimmed as and when the airport becomes operational,” the note says.
The engineer has recommended that the reduction in length of the runway from 3,750m to 3,500m will not hamper the operations at the proposed airport in a major way.
“Minor increase in load penalty as has been in the report shall be applicable to long haul flights coming to the airport, which shall not affect the overall performance of the airport in line with Concession Agreement,” the note says.
Meanwhile the Cabinet also approved the acquisition of additional 2,367 sq mtrs of land of village Uguem in Pernem Taluka for the Mopa Airport Project for an amount of Rs 29,22,709, as per the Policy on Procurement of land under Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
