The Bombay high court has asked the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to shed light on the existing height limit imposed by it for high-rise buildings near the airport to ensure the safety of aircraft and passengers.
“For the safety and security of the passengers, as well as local residents, the exact height measurement of the buildings is necessary. If we get the exact height limitation on high-rises, there won’t be any confusion with regard to initiation of action against buildings flouting it,” said a HC division bench comprising Justice V.M. Kanade and Justice Swapna Joshi.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by advocate Yashwant Shenoy, who had sought demolition of high- rise buildings that are allegedly violating the height regulations on structures around the airport.
Earlier, the HC directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to demolish some floors of a building that was constructed by Sailee developers. The court further directed the BMC to register an FIR against the developer before demolishing the floors. That building has been built close to the runway and overshoots the permissible height limit — the DGCA allowed construction up to 13.9 metres, but the building is 24.7 metres high.
On Wednesday, counsel Rizwan Merchant, who appeared for the developer, told the court that the Centre keeps changing the height limit for buildings near the airport.
