'Don't allow quarrying near airport'

Addressing a news conference on Friday, Mangalore Airport Director M R Vasudeva said that Court of Inquiry looking into the Mangalore Air Tragedy too had directed the Airport Authority of India to ensure that no mining activities are carried on in close proximity to the airport, which can have affect on the structure.

Vasudeva said that apprehensions are being posed over the stability of Mangalore airport in some media, which is completely far from truth and exaggerated to large extent.

Survey report

A survey was conducted by Department of Mines and Geology recently to ascertain the strength of the hillock and informing about the findings, Deputy Director Dr B M Ravindra said that the apprehension over stability of Bajpe airport is unnecessary.

Dr Ravindra said that according to the rules, no mining or quarrying activity should be allowed around 100 mts of any structure. A laterite quarrying has been going on at Adyapadi village, which is about 300 to 400 mts away from the table top airport and as many as two granite quarrying are going on at Karambar village over the last 30 years, which is located about 1 kilometre away from the airport.

“No blasts are held in laterite quarry while the granite quarry at Karambar does low intensity blasts, which has no impact on the airport situated on the opposite side of the mining spot,” said Dr Ravindra.

Sound structure

Explaining the structure of the hillock over which the airport is situated, Dr Ravindra said that the Bajpe airport region is a structurally stable area with a laterite cover at the top and  fresh, unweathered granite rocks underneath, which will not be affected even by a moderate scale 2 earthquake.