Police record statement in case against builders, SMC and AAI

SURAT: City police have recorded the statement of Surat Airport Action Committee (SAAC) president Sanjay Ezhawa in connection with his complaint against realtors of 18 residential projects and officials of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Public Works Department (PWD) accusing them of criminal negligence by illegally constructing buildings in violation of terms and conditions of no-objection certificates (NOCs) issued by the AAI, on Friday.
SAAC president pointed out that the RTI data given by SMC and AAI revealed that 18 residential buildings toward Vesu side of the runway at Surat airport were obstructing the landing of aircraft. The builders and architects provided proper data to all the authorities, including AAI for obtaining NOCs, but the coordinates at the time of obtaining NOCs were different when the original sites were surveyed in 2017.
The NOCs of the 18 projects were issued between 2007 and 2013. The AAI did area inspection in 2007 and the next inspection was done in 2017. However, the illegal construction of the buildings took place in the gap of 10 years when no survey was done. As per the terms and conditions of the NOC, if the builders, developers or architects provide wrong information, the NOC stood cancelled and that the structures need to be demolished.
The AAI, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Civil Aviation Ministry kept mum on the building obstacles to the airport in Surat. The obstruction of 12.30 metre is actually hampering the development of the airport. Recently, the DGCA displaced 615 metre of runway due to building height obstruction, bringing the runway length from 2,905 metre to just 2,290 metre.
Sanjay Ezhawa told TOI, “Police have recorded my statement and I am awaiting action by them. If nothing happens, I will knock the doors of High Court through a public interest litigation (PIL). The builders, SMC, PWD and AAI authorities need to be grilled for hampering the development of the airport in the city.”
by via Surat News, Latest Surat News Headlines & Live Updates - Times of India