After birds, it is that high-rises coming up around Ballari Road that are posing problems for pilots at the Yelahanka Air Force Station, the only Air Force base in Bengaluru.
Speaking to presspersons here on Wednesday, Yelahanka Air Force Station’s Chief Operations Officer Amit Pushkar said that the bird menace – which had peaked due to the improper facilities at Mavallipura dumpyard – had reduced. However, numerous high-rises had popped up in the area.
“At least five cranes are perched atop buildings and pose a hindrance to landing aircraft,” he said. Despite town planning rules specifying high-rises within 20-km radius of the airfield need a No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Defence and air base authorities, there have been violations, said Mr. Pushkar.
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Air Commodore S.C. Gulati, Air Officer Commanding of the AFS, said meetings have been held with the Bangalore Development Authority and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike on the issue.
However, the Bengaluru Development Authority said that it could not take action in this case as it was not within the scope of the authority. “Plan approvals are given by BBMP and it is not our jurisdiction,” said P.N. Naik, Member Engineer, BDA.
Mayor B.N. Manjunath Reddy said that the approvals were given only after the Air Force authorities gave their nod.
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To avoid such issues from cropping up, the town planning rules clearly state that for construction of high-rises in the 20-km radius of an airport, a no-objection certificate has to be obtained. “Before we go for plan sanction, the NOC has to be issued. Every airport has a tunnel path which can have no obstacles and as long as this tunnel path is not blocked, there should be no issue,” said Suresh Hari, General Secretary, CREDAI-Bengaluru.