DGCA summons owners of 45 buildings violating height rules near Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport

Bombay HC has asked regulator to take immediate action against such structures

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Last week, the Bombay High Court directed the DGCA to take immediate action against 115 highrises that fall in the flightpath of the airport. Express Photo

In a bid to implement court orders to demolish irregular constructions near the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has summoned representatives of 45 buildings that lack height clearances from the Airport Authority of India (AAI). At a meeting to be held this week, officials will discuss with occupants a time-frame for vacating the higher floors of the buildings.

The issue of buildings constructed around the airport without height-related clearances has been in the Bombay High Court for several months. Last week, the court directed the DGCA to take immediate action against 115 highrises that fall in the flightpath of the airport. According to DGCA guidelines, the ratio of the height of a structure to its distance from the airport must be 1:7. The court also directed the DGCA to issue, within the next three months, final orders on demolition or reduction of height for another 317 structures identified as obstacles in a survey conducted between 2015 and 2016.

Officials said that select representatives have been invited to initiate action on the court order. “We sent notices to 57 of these building-owners earlier and now 45 have been called this week for further discussions. The meet will aim to verify our records against the status of the height of the buildings and necessary legal action. They will also be informed of a deadline within which they will be required to clear the space for us to begin demolition,” a senior DGCA official said.

Many of these buildings, located in areas such as Ghatkopar, Chembur, Vile Parle, Santacruz, Bandra and Andheri, were found to be lacking the required No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the AAI. In November last year, the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) had submitted a list to the DGCA, identifying 317 obstacles around the airport. The list included the names of buildings that don’t have the NOC.

Officials said they received individual requests from many residents regarding the short period of time available to them to vacate. “Some also posted letters with proof of their rightful stay inside the premises. Many visited us to understand when the discussion could take place so that also receive clarification on the order,” the official added.

Officials plan to begin demolition work on these buildings within a span of 15-30 days.

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