Rising airports near habitations get radius enlargement
Kolkata Airport
By Sanjay Singh
New Delhi, October 19: With increasing number of Indian airports, surrounded by civil, urban population, making airports vulnerable to air incidents, the government has increased the radius of the vicinity around an airports from five kilometers to 9.2 kilometers.
According to a government notification, besides the increase in radius of the vicinity around an aerodrome may report such incidents if an individual fails to extinguish the false lights in the area concerned. The fresh amendment has also extended the scope and power for the government to take action against anyone exhibiting “false lights” — lantern lights, kite lights and laser lights — in the vicinity of an aerodrome.
The government may also report such incidents if an individual fails to extinguish the false lights in the area concerned. When such lights are flashed in the vicinity of an aerodrome, they can be mistaken for aeronautical ground lights or an aeronautical beacon and can endanger the safety of an aircraft and its passengers. They can also disrupt an aircraft’s operations and pose a hazard to the flight’s operating crew.
If any owner or person who is served a notice under the rule neglects it for 24 hours, the central government or any person authorized by it could enter the place and extinguish the light, the notification said. The government or authorized individual may also report the matter to the police station concerned for action under Section 281 or 283 or both of the Indian Penal Code, says the notifications.
According to state-run airport developer, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) slum dwellers and other inhabitants have encroached around 800 acres of land belonging to it. AAI manages 126 airports and airports and possesses a land bank of around 55,800 acres, across the country.
Over 11 acre land around the Kolkata airport, which is owned and run by the AAI), has been encroached by slum dwellers. Similarly, in Bihar encroachments over the lands meant for three airports — Forbesganj-Jogbani, Raxaul, and Muzaffarpur are heavily encroached.
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