Encroachments around Chandigarh airport: HC to hear issue today

Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 26

Less than two months after the Indian Air Force expressed safety and other concerns regarding Chandigarh International Airport, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday made clear its intent to take up the issue again on Wednesday. The issue includes removal of encroachments.

The Bench of Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli also rapped the authorities concerned for wasting Rs 1,400 crore by not making the international airport fully functional.

The Bench took a serious view of the discontinuation and non-resumption of the Air India flight to Bangkok and directed Punjab, Chandigarh and airport authorities to put their heads together for acquisition of land for the CAT-III facility.

The Bench, at one point of time, made it clear that Zirakpur municipal committee, Greater Mohali Area Development Authority and Chandigarh were required to remove encroachments around the airport; and set two weeks’ deadline for the purpose.

The Bench, during the course of hearing, was told that no less than 264 structures had been indentified within the 100-metre area of the airport. But counsel for the petitioner, senior advocate Puneet Bali, submitted that some of the structures could be approved.

The Bench, then, deferred the decision before making it clear that further arguments in the matter would be heard the next day.

Visibly miffed over the status of the Bangkok flight, the Bench asserted that Rs 1,400 crore had been spent on setting up the airport, yet adequate facilities were unavailable; and the authorities had no concern for the people and the taxes they paid.

“You are trying to put Rs 1,400 crore in waste….At that time, you had not said it was not feasible to run the flight. It even amounted to contempt for misguiding the court. We want details of occupancy of all other sectors…,” the Bench asserted, adding that the amount had been misutilised. Even the old building, which was almost in new condition and constructed recently, was misutilised.

The Bench also asked Punjab Chief Secretary, UT Advisor and Chandigarh International Airport Limited CEO to hold a joint meeting for acquisition of 0.6 acres essential for providing the CAT-III facility to enable landing during poor visibility.

The Bench directed them to find a solution to the issue before submitting an affidavit within two weeks.

Bali, during the hearing, told the Bench that 80 per cent occupancy was sufficient to sustain the flight operations. He added that the development was not in accordance with the promises made during the past one and a half years.

Referring to a survey carried out by Patiala drainage department, the IAF had earlier told the court that its report revealed that all outlets leading to the main rain drain outside the airfield were blocked due to unauthorised construction and non-clearance of drainage.