Over 200 obstacles flagged by authorities near Kolkata airport, posing safety risk during take-off and landing

Indian Express

3 days ago

Even as the country mourns the loss of 241 lives in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport in Kolkata continues to face a pressing concern: over 200 obstacles around its vicinity that pose potential risks during aircraft take-off and landing.
According to sources, a recent Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS) study identified a total of 377 hazards around the NSCBI Airport. While 90 of these have been successfully removed — including several tall trees and parts of illegally constructed buildings — the majority remain in place. These include mobile towers, water tanks, dish antennas, lightning arresters, and unauthorized high-rise structures. Around 287 still pose a threat.
Of the 377 obstacles identified, 118 are considered 'problematic', comprising buildings and other structures. Of these, only 15 have been removed so far, with no action initiated against the remaining 103, sources said.
Airport authorities have repeatedly issued notices to the owners of these properties, urging immediate compliance, the sources said.
The issue of obstruction falls under the jurisdiction of six civic bodies: Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC), New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA), Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), Madhyamgram Municipality (MMC), New Barrackpore Municipality (NBM), and North Dum Dum Municipality (NDM).
Obstructions include high-rises in Rajarhat and New Town, dish antennas in Madhyamgram, lightning arresters in New Town, large hoardings near BT College More, mobile towers in Michaelnagar and New Barrackpore, coconut trees in Michaelnagar, and electric poles along Jessore Road.
The urgency of these concerns was highlighted at a high-level meeting of the Airfield Environment Management Committee (AEMC) held at NSCBI Airport on May 23.
The meeting was chaired by Nandini Chakraborty, Principal Secretary, Home Department, Government of West Bengal, and attended by Dr P R Beuria, Airport Director, along with senior IAS officers, Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials, municipal representatives, and airline stakeholders.
As the fifth busiest airport in India — handling over 400 flight movements daily and capable of accommodating Code-E wide-body aircraft — the removal of these obstacles and tall trees was a key point of discussion. The Airport Director informed the committee that precise coordinates of the identified trees and structures are being shared with the relevant authorities to facilitate their removal. The Principal Secretary also advised that these details be sent directly to municipal bodies for swift action.
Apart from physical obstacles, laser beam interference near the airport emerged as another major concern. Airport Director Dr Pravat Ranjan Beuria flagged the issue, noting that lasers can temporarily blind pilots during critical phases of flight. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has already issued guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to address this hazard.
Following the meeting, the Principal Secretary reportedly instructed municipal authorities and the police to strictly curb the use of lasers within designated 'laser beam-free' and 'laser beam-critical' flight zones.
Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics.
With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences.
Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More