15^th February 2009                              SPEED POST

 

 

 

Dear Mr. Rahul Gandhi,

 

                                    Namaskar

 

 

We are sure our informal approach shall come to you as a surprise. Well, we have been impressed by your frank views while addressing your party men as well as by your speech in Parliament.

 

We are not too sure whether the fire in your belly would translate into an action plan that bring in a major change in the direction towards which the government is presently heading to. As it is too early to say any thing as our corrupt Politicians with assistance of the corrupt Bureaucrats continue to exploit our resources, Public Sector under takings and treat the general public as guinea pigs.

 

The classic example is continuing operations and expansion of IGI International Airport at New Delhi that has made lives of more than about 2 lac residents staying in the vicinity of the airport miserable.

 

The most intriguing aspect is that under the Master plan of Delhi this airport was to be taken out of City of Delhi the way Bangalore and Hyderabad have been taken out of the City. Further, the Safdarjang Airport has been close in view of noise pollution and security reasons.

 

The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) has cleared expansion of the IGI Airport on the basis of a simple letter furnished by the GMR stating that the Noise Pollution Level is from 51 to 57 Db in the residential areas close to the Airport. The Ministry also waived the requirement of publication of notice as well as public hearing. GMR in its presentation before the Director General of Civil Aviation, Govt of India, New Delhi on 27^th January 2009 has admitted the abnormally high noise pollution levels that vindicate our stand and studies and substantiates the suspicion of fudging of DATA by DIAL/GMR. The copies of letters received from MOEF and presentation by GMR are attached as annexure-1(Colly).

 

The fact remains that the noise pollution level ranges between 74 to 84 dBA during day time and at night time touches beyond 100 dBA as per noise levels monitored by us with manual noise pollution level monitor. Further, ICAO.has published noise pollution levels ‘air craft wise’ which are known to any airport operator as well as the Ministries controlling air traffic and environmental issues world wide. The copy of the survey and the DATA published by ICAO is annexed hereto as annexure-2 (Colly).

 

Once the information about noise pollution level and the health hazard is available in Public Domain  the India Bureaucratic system cannot feign ignorance and accept fudged DATA submitted by any private player except in case of unholy corrupt nexus and in connivance with the powerful lobby that controls both the Bureaucrats in Government and public continues to suffer.

 

It is not that we have highlighted the problem only. We have offered suggestions that have found place in the presentation by GMR before the DGCA. In support to our suggestions that the landing on runway no. 29 should be from Dwarka side and the take off should take place from Vasant Kunj side, we are enclosing herewith two maps that have been picked from Google. You would observe that the population density is much more when the landing takes place from Vasant Kunj side. There are number of schools and hospitals falling with in the landing funnel whereas if the landing takes place from Dwarka side the nearest sector 23 is nearly 1.5 KM away from the landing funnel. The noise on the side of the runway which disturbs local villages Bijwasan and Smalkha can be controlled by installation of a simple acoustic sound barrier. The photocopies of both the print outs are attached with this letter as annexure- 3 (Colly).

 

Our numerous e-mails and letter submitted with the DGCA, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Union Minister for Civil Aviation and Hon’ble Prime Minister of India has failed to evoke any response. The only response received from the Ministry of Civil Aviation is vide its letter No. F.No.50/249/2008- RTI Cell, GOI, dated 23^rd January 2009 a copy of which is attached herewith as annexure-4.

 

A perusal of this letter would reveals that the office of the Minster of Civil Aviation is least bothered about the health on India Citizens but is more bothered about the bottom line of foreign airlines as the aircrafts had to hover around in the sky due to congestion and the air lines were making loss. It appears that the Ministry has forgotten to note that the Airlines were charging congestion charges from the consumers. Now with the operation of Runway No. 3 (29) by GMR the balance sheets of the airlines would be healthy at the cost of the health of the Indian Citizenry as the cost of damage caused to human beings cannot be quantified as such the Ministry is least bothered. The Ministry continues to be in deep slumber so far as the fact remains world over there is night curfew has been imposed on taking off and landing of flights and the noise barriers have been put up to save the residents staying within close vicinity of the runways. On one hand we talk about adopting European norms so far as the environmental issues are concerned on the other hand we forget to follow the best examples of air port management. In order to protect our goof up and corrupt system, we seek shelter of a few counted projects that have caused massive damage to the human life.

 

We had invited GMR officials that we shall provide them free boarding and lodging for one week in India Spinal Injuries Center and let them eat drink and sleep there only and experience the agony of the people.

 

We therefore, by this letter seek your immediate attention and intervention in the matter with a request to take up the matter with the modern day Kumbhkaranas i.e Corrupt Politicians within Congress holding key positions and the inefficient incompetent Bureaucrats who have played cruel joke with huge population. In case this problem is not addressed immediately, name of Late Mrs. Indira Gandhi would be remembered by generations to come for wrong reasons than good things she had done for India.

 

Last but not the least, the DDA is planning to protect the athletes from Noise Pollution during the Common wealth games by erecting Noise Barriers little realizing that it is the tax payers that have contributed to the State coffers to enable the Government to host Common Wealth Games. Therefore, the Citizens deserve better treatment in terms of protection from constant noise pollution to which they are exposed to.

 

May we request you to please visit Vasant Kunj, Bijwasan, Smalkha  and spend some time with us so that you have first hand experience?

 

Looking forward to hear from you soon, we remain,

 

 

Yours Truly

For CHETNA

 

 

Anil Sood

Hony President

 

Encl: a/a

–
Regards,

Anil Sood                     Anil Sharma    
President             Secretary