Latest news with #ObstacleLimitationSurface
Time of India
4 days ago
- General
- Time of India
After airport survey, 98 of 377 flight hurdles removed
Kolkata: Despite repeated warnings and ongoing efforts, only 98 out of 377 identified obstacles that directly come in the flight path of Kolkata airport were removed, according to the latest Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS) study released by the airport authorities. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The report highlights that numerous structures and objects still pose a serious threat to aircraft during take-offs and landings. The OLS study, which assesses potential obstructions within designated airspace zones around the airports to ensure safe flight operations, revealed that while a significant number of tall trees were cut down and illegally constructed building floors of 15 structures were dismantled, the majority of hazards remain unaddressed. Unremoved obstacles include mobile towers, water tanks, dish antennas, lightning arresters, and unauthorised high-rises. The airport authorities have issued notices to the owners of the remaining structures, demanding their immediate removal. "We've flagged these obstructions multiple times," said an airport official. "While there was some action, a substantial number of hazards still need to be dealt with." The issue was recently discussed at the Airfield Environment Management Committee (AEMC) meeting, attended by senior state officials, including Nandini Chakraborty, principal secretary of Hill and Home Affairs, Bidhannagar Police commissioner Mukesh Kumar and officials of PWD, urban development department, Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other surrounding municipalities. One of the major hurdles cited by municipal bodies is the delay in receiving permissions from the state forest department for pruning or removing trees. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The BMC requested the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to provide precise GPS coordinates of the trees identified for pruning. It was decided that AAI will share the coordinates of tall trees near the airport perimeter falling under six civic jurisdictions: BMC, New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA), Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), Madhyamgram Municipal Corporation (MMC), New Barrackpore Municipality (NBM), and North Dum Dum Municipality (NDM). Among these, Madhyamgram Municipality and Rohanda Gram Panchayat were recognised for their proactive approach, having removed 52 of the 114 tall trees. The current report included detailed photographs and descriptions of remaining violations: high-rises in Rajarhat and New Town, dish antennas in Madhyamgram, lightning arresters in New Town, hoardings near BT College More, mobile towers in Michaelnagar and New Barrackpore, coconut trees in Michaelnagar, and electric poles along Jessore Road.
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Puducherry airport expansion: AAI completes Obstacle Limitation Surface survey
As a preliminary step towards expansion of the Puducherry airport, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has completed the Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS) survey to identify potential obstacles along the airspace of Puducherry airport before starting construction of a new runway. After aborting the plan to extend the existing runway, the AAI in consultation with the territorial administration had agreed on a new orientation for the runway that would entail discarding the existing runway of 1,502 metres and constructing a new flight strip of 2,300 metres for operation of Airbus 320 type aircraft from Puducherry. A three-member team from the Central headquarters of the AAI in New Delhi was in Puducherry for a week from May 6 to conduct the OLS survey using hi-tech equipment including DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System), a specialised piece of gadget involved in satellite-assisted mapping of land. 'The team was in Puducherry from May 6 to 13 and they were involved in detailed mapping of the airspace. The preliminary assessment is that the approach ways and sideways of the proposed runway are free of obstacles, which includes mobile towers, high tension electric lines and high rise buildings. Now, the team will prepare a OLS chart and submit the plan to Planning and Airport Operation directorates of AAI for approval,' a source in AAI told The Hindu. The proposed runway would extend to a point near the toll gate near Moratandi on the Tindivanam-Puducherry highway. The new orientation, which is a 20-degree deviation with respect to the existing runway, to materialise would need 402 acres of land with majority of the land parcel required for expansion lying on the Tamil Nadu side. For the construction of new runway having 2,300 metre in length and 45 metre width, the AAI would need 217 acres in Tamil Nadu area and 185 acres in Puducherry side, said an official. 'Land acquisition will be the biggest challenge as we will need around ₹ 1,500 crore to bear the acquisition cost in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. We have approached the Centre for the financing part and also initiated talks with Tamil Nadu at administrative level land acquisition part. While residential areas are less in places where land acquisition was necessary, government assets would need rehabilitation. Shifting of certain civic facilities will also be a huge challenge. We are still in a very preliminary stage as far land acquisition part of airport expansion project was concerned,' the official said.
