HC takes exception to AAI survey of Jakkur aerodrome over metro work

The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday demanded how the Airports Authority of India (AAI) carried out a field survey of the Jakkur aerodrome without its permission.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka is hearing a PIL petition filed by a city-based lawyer Ajoy Kumar Patil. The petition contends that the proposed airport metro line and the retaining wall would be within just 60 metres of the aerodrome’s runway.

The petition argues that there is an “absolute statutory prohibition” against all kinds of construction as the place has been declared a ‘No Construction/Obstruction Zone’. Further, the construction violates the Ministry of Civil Aviation (Height Restrictions for Safeguarding of Aircraft Operations) Rules, 2015, according to the petition.

The state government informed the court that the AAI had done the survey between March 9 and 16, and sought time for preparing the charts. But the counsel for the AAI said that he had not received any instruction about the survey.

The bench noted that at a previous hearing, the counsel for the Union of India had stated that the Director of Civil Aviation was not willing to carry out the survey. It asked whether the AAI could have undertaken the survey touching the issues raised in the petition without seeking leave of the court.

At previous hearings, the court had also asked the AAI whether it had published a book containing information about the Jakkur airstrip. The AAI initially replied in the negative, but its counsel later sought time to file a response after the petitioner submitted the book on record.

The court expressed surprise at the AAI withholding information whether or not it had published the book.
It directed the AAI to submit an affidavit by a responsible officer placing on record the order, if any, passed by any authority to carry out the survey and to clarify its stand on the book.