Bombay HC orders demolition of portions of 48 high-rise structure near airport
Public interest litigations (PILs) filed by Yashwant Shenoy alleging lapses in aircraft maintenance and requesting action against structures higher than the allowed height limit in the vicinity of the city airport were being heard by a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice MG Sewlikar.
FollowThe Bombay High Court on Friday ordered the demolition of portions of 48 high-rise structures close to the Mumbai International Airport, in accordance with the Director General of Civil Aviation's directives. The structures that were slated for removal broke the local airport's strict height regulations. The court also recommended that the authorities cut off the water and power to any structures that have received notices for height violations.
Public interest litigations (PILs) filed by Yashwant Shenoy alleging lapses in aircraft maintenance and requesting action against structures higher than the allowed height limit in the vicinity of the city airport were being heard by a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice MG Sewlikar.
According to Shenoy, these structures present a risk to aeroplanes that take off and land at this airport and might one day result in an unfortunate catastrophe. A study, according to the attorney, is required to be conducted every two years to determine whether any new violations have occurred.
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The most recent poll, nevertheless, was conducted in 2015–16. The bench ruled that the state authorities, the DGCA, and the MMIA should make sure that at least the breaches noted in those reports are addressed. The Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) notified that surveys are conducted on a regular basis and that a total of 137 impediments (buildings/structures) were found in 2010.
Final orders have been given in 63 of these 137 structures. Nine of these have seen the filing of appeals, while six of the buildings have complied. The court was informed that the remaining 48 constructions must be removed right away because no compliance or appeal has been made.
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Shenoy had also brought up the subject of pre-flight inspections being required for every aircraft. He had said that every time an aeroplane takes off, a maintenance engineer must examine it. Shenoy had said that there had been occasions where these engineers signed the log sheets without doing the examination.
(With PTI inputs)
