Latest news with #Limitation
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
MIL lists buildings violating height norms in flight path of second runway
Nagpur: Even before the proposed second runway takes shape at Nagpur, airport operator Mihan India Limited (MIL) has sent a list of 40-odd buildings in the new flight path that violate the height norms to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The list was sent over a year ago, and now it is up to the DGCA to take a decision. MIL does not have the power to demolish the structures, and only DCGA can recommend any such action, said sources in the airport management. This is in addition to the nearly 68 buildings identified by MIL that exceed the height limit in the flight path aligned with the existing runway. A decision on these buildings is also awaited, said sources. Work on constructing the second runway is yet to start. The GMR Group, which is supposed to take over the Nagpur airport operations, will be expected to build the second runway. Both runways would run parallel to each other, separated by over 1.6km. An Obstruction Limitation Surfaces (OLS) survey was conducted in 2023 for the second runway by MIL. The idea to build the second runway is as old as the concept of Mihan, which was mooted over two decades ago. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Back Pain Treatments That Might Surprise You! Back Pain Treatment | Search Ads Undo It was proposed to have two runways at the airport, expecting a major surge in air traffic once it is developed as an international hub. Sources said certain height restrictions were imposed in 2011 for buildings in the second runway's funnel zone, depending on the distance. Any building that violated the limit after 2011 can be subject to action. However, the earlier buildings can continue with the existing height and the restrictions won't apply. The list of buildings aligned with the second runway was sent soon after a hearing was held by DGCA for the structures concerning the existing runway. A decision on the structures has not been made yet, said sources. Now, GMR Group, which has secured the deal to develop the second runway, is also involved. GMR Nagpur International Airport Limited, however, is yet to take over the Nagpur airport. It was expected that GMR might take over the airport in May this year. The takeover hinges on approval by the Union cabinet. The land on which Nagpur airport stands belongs to the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The land will have to be transferred to MIL, which is a joint venture between the state govt's Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) and AAI. The transfer of AAI land to MIL will need approval from the Union cabinet, which is still awaited, said sources. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
The Spinoff
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Spinoff
Windbag: The little decisions that make a big impact
Two overlooked votes on obscure council policies could make a significant difference to new housing in Wellington. It's no secret that council rules and processes are arcane. Local government is a bureaucratic minefield of jargon and seemingly pointless minutiae. It's not uncommon for councillors to sit through hours of explanations from council staff, simply to understand the significance of an upcoming vote. Even then, there's often some confusion about what certain amendments mean and how they should vote to get their preferred outcome. Nowhere is that more evident than in Wellington's District Plan. Wellington City Council finalised the major decisions around housing density back in March 2024, but the process didn't end there. For more than a year, the council has continued to vote on increasingly minor and mostly uninteresting points. Last Thursday, the council completed the final touches, bringing the District Plan process to a close and officially adopting it. It was no mere signing ceremony, though; the meeting's agenda ran to 2,568 pages. The decisions made on the day weren't huge headline-grabbers, but two small but important points are worth delving into. The airport conundrum The first was about the airport's Obstacle Limitation Surface, or OLS, an obscure but powerful mechanism that gives Wellington Airport veto power over building heights anywhere near the airport. The airport is proposing a vastly expanded OLS zone, covering most of the city, at heights as low as eight metres. (Read more about the OLS controversy here.) Rebecca Matthews introduced an amendment to change the minimum height to 11 metres, which would ensure all townhouse developments are unaffected, and to exclude areas that are shaded by hills. Tim Brown, a former chair of the airport company, launched a spirited defence of the OLS, emphasising that the airport had never used the veto power. 'There is very clear evidence that the OLS has had no impact on densification. We effectively have a situation of international safety standards versus a very hypothetical concern about people's ability to undertake development,' he said. Matthews said she felt she was being asked to reconcile two contradictory ideas: 'that a massive increase in powers is essential to their operation and that it will never be used. I can't hold both of those ideas in my head at once.' A majority of councillors supported Matthews' amendment. However, the council doesn't have the power to change the OLS unilaterally. Essentially, all the council can do is write to the airport and ask them very nicely to change the OLS. If the airport doesn't agree, the matter could end up in the Environment Court. The e-bike apartment question Wellington City Council has made a significant investment – both financially and politically – in bike lanes and other infrastructure to encourage more low-carbon transport and lifestyles. If more people are going to take up cycling, especially if that means going car-free, they need the ability to store their bikes in their homes. To address this, council staff proposed a bike parking minimum for new apartments. It was a well-intentioned policy, but it went too far. It would have required developers to set aside 2.5 square metres of space, with access to electricity, for every unit. It provided enough space for every apartment dweller to store a large electric cargo bike. Large apartment developers would have had to set aside an entire floor for bike parking. That would increase the build cost for developers, which would increase the price they would need to sell units for to make their margins work. That either means apartments will be more expensive, or they won't be built at all. Exactly how much more expensive is hard to calculate – estimates from developer Stratum claimed as much as $58,000 extra per unit. Those numbers seem a bit too high to be credible, but it's inarguable that the policy would add some additional cost. The independent hearings panel, which oversaw the District Plan process, recommended reducing the requirement to one e-bike parking space per four units. But that number was plucked out of thin air and didn't make anyone happy. Ben McNulty introduced an amendment to remove the bike parking requirement. 'As we allow developers to make their own decisions on car parks, gyms, pool and laundry, so we should on e-bikes and micro-mobility,' he said. Iona Pannett saw it differently: 'Developers are like small children, they need to be told what to do. If we just let them do what they like, they will not provide enough.' The debate has echoes of a 2021 decision by then-transport minister Phil Twyford to ban councils from requiring a minimum number of car parks in new developments – a policy that won international praise in urbanist circles for enabling lower housing costs for people who don't need or want a car. The same financial argument could be made for mandatory bike parking, but bikes also have wider social benefits for dense urban areas. A majority of councillors voted in favour of McNulty's amendment, but some Green councillors were uncomfortable with how it might discourage cycling uptake, so they tasked council staff with finding an alternative solution. The final twist in this tale is that the new work may all be for nothing. Housing minister Chris Bishop was watching the process play out – and tweeting about it. He doesn't like bike parking minimums any more than Twyford liked car parking minimums, and there is growing speculation that he will ban them under his upcoming RMA reforms.
Indian Express
13-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Over 200 obstacles flagged by authorities near Kolkata airport, posing safety risk during take-off and landing
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
