February 8: The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has refused permission to the Ruias of the Essar group to operate their helicopters from the rooftop of their corporate headquarters at Mahalaxmi. Various safety reasons have been cited by the regulatory body for refusal of permission.The Essar group had already constructed a helipad on its massive rooftop so that it could operate flights for its top executives from the corporate office to plants situated in Gujarat. But the DGCA felt that giving permission to the corporate house could jeopardise the safety of people living in the nearby areas. The company's contention was that it could save time for its executives, who have to go to Juhu airport to catch flights. The group owns two Bell helicopters, stationed in Mumbai.All the helicopter services from Mumbai are operated from the Juhu airport, barring those of a few government agencies who occasionally use the army helipad situated at the tip of South Mumbai.Earlier, the DGCA had deniedpermission to another corporate giant which wanted to operate flights for its executives from Nariman Point. Due to the many highrise constructions at Nariman Point, the DGCA said no to the proposal.Though the Essar House doesn't have any highrise buildings adjacent to it, the DGCA is playing safe because any mishap could endanger the lives of the slumdwellers whose hutments surround the building from three sides.Essar officials said that they haven't abandoned the idea of the helipad yet and would appeal to higher authorities for permission. In addition to the DGCA nod, the company will require permission from the Airports Authority of India, Wireless, the Indian Navy, Mumbai police, the fire brigade and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The BMC has given its nod to the helipad, officials said.
