———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Society for Protection of Culture Heritage Environment Traditions and Promotion of National Awareness (Regd) CHETNA <chetna.regd@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 2:46 PM
Subject: Re; Illegal Operation of Runway 3- IGI- Unbearable noise Pollution
To: praful@sansad.nic.in
Cc: daw@dgca.nic.in, envisect@nic.in, dgoffice@dgca.nic.in, cmdelhi@nic.in, Tejendra Khanna <ltgov@nic.in>, vpindia@sansad.nic.in, Hon’ble Prime Minister <pmosb@pmo.nic.in>, Smt Pratibha Patil Hon’ble President of India <presidentofindia@rb.nic.in>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

23^rd February 2009                             Speed Post

 

 

The Secretary,

Ministry of Civil Aviation,

Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan,

Safdarjang Airport,

New Delhi-110003

 

Sir,

 

Subject: Re: Unbearable noise pollution – IGI Runway 29.

 

Our Reference(s): 1. E mails dated 28^th September 2008, 30^th September, 3^rd

                                   November and 15^th November 2008  to Minister for Civil

                                    Aviation;

                                2. Registered letters dated 3^rd November 2008 and 15^th November

                                    2008 addressed to you.

 

Your Reference: Letter No. F. No. 50/249/2008-RTI Cell, GOI, Ministry of Civil

                              Aviation dated 23^rd January 2009 read with your letter dated 18^th

                              December 2008.

 

We confirm having received the letter cited above and noted the contents thereof.

 

At the outset we wish to state that the response received by us is contrary to the ground realities, facts and law of the land. It appears while the Government on one hand is adopting Euro norms in order to contain the vehicular pollution and also to avoid noise pollution takes out the airports of Bangalore and Hyderabad out of the City and closes Safdarjang Airport in Delhi, on the other hand it started modernization of the IGI that was mandated to be taken out of the City of Delhi under the Master Plan. Therefore, the Ministry is blowing hot and cold in the same breath.

 

The point wise reply to the issues conveyed to us is as under:-

 

(i)                 3^rd Runway to reduce the congestion: It has been contended that 3^rd runway has been made operational in order to reduce the congestion due to sudden and unprecedented growth in aircraft movement/passenger growth with the objective of minimizing delays. Unfortunately the argument of unprecedented growth is not acceptable as the growth was anticipated that had necessitated shifting of airport outside Delhi as per Master Plan 1980 and 2001. If the airport was not shifted the blame squarely lies at your door step. Further, due to congestion the airlines were loosing money that was recovered by them as congestion charge from the Passengers. Therefore, for easing the congestions and reducing the losses of the airlines the primary issue of harmful effect of unbearable noise pollution on the health of lacs of citizens cannot be ignored at all. The public interest overrides the commercial considerations. Therefore, in fitness of the circumstances please stop operation of runway number 29 immediately as the clearance has been obtained by DIAL/GMR by fudging the DATA.

 

(ii)               Vasant Kunj/Vasant Vihar/Mahipalpur are located in the approach path of Runway 29: It has been contended that landing of aircrafts flying over these residential areas is inevitable. Once again the Ministry has clearly ignored the mandate of  the rules framed by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in its annexure 2 on Rules of the Air at Para 3.1.2 that has prescribed the following standards (relating to residential colonies falling under landing funnel) relevant text is reproduced as under:-

 

“except when necessary for take off or landing, or except by permission from the appropriate authority, air craft shall not be flown over the congested areas of the cities, towns or settlements or over an open air assembly of persons, unless at such a height as will permit, in the event of an emergency arising, a landing to be made without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.”

 

Therefore, it is not open for the MCA to permit operation of Runway No. 29 in view of the restriction imposed by the ICAO.

 

(iii)             Aircraft landing at runway no. 29 are flying at a higher altitude: It appears that the MCA officers have never come out of the Air-conditioned offices thus have failed to recognize the fact of noise pollution being caused by the low flying aircrafts. Thus the statement made by you is contrary to ground realities. As such please stop operation of runway no. 29 immediately without any further delay.

 

(iv)             Obtaining NOC by co-operative societies/Builder/individual: It is once again surprising that the MCA has taken shelter of the ground that does not exist in the allotment schemes published by DDA or allotment conditions imposed by DDA in any of its schemes that have been made public since 1981 onwards. Simply by claiming that NOC has been obtained on the non existing clause of non claiming of compensation against Aircraft noise is contrary to facts as such is no ground for the MCA to enrich the airlines and DIAL/GMR at the cost of health of lacs of Citizens, students, patients and senior citizens.  Therefore, it is in your own interest to stop operation of runway 29 immediately without any further delay.

 

(v)               Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd. is in the process of installing noise sensors at the airport. It is stated that since the DIAL/GMR has obtained clearance from MOEF based on fudged DATA whereas the ground realities and facts are available in public domain, still the MOEF has preferred to ignore the facts while granting NOC and waiving the mandatory EIA and public hearing for reasons best known to it. Further, now MCA is protecting the violator of law for reasons best known to it . It may not be out of place to mention here that the steps that should have been taken earlier have not been taken at all.

 

Therefore, we solicit your immediate attention in the matter request you to stop operations of runway 29 at IGI with immediate effect.

 

 

Thanking you.

 

Yours truly,

For CHETNA

 

 

 

Anil Sood

Hony President

 

  Copy forwarded to the following for information and necessary intervention:-

 

1. Hon’ble Ms. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi: This is classic example of robbing Peter to pay Paul being followed by the MCA for reasons best known to it. Therefore, we solicit your immediate attention and intervention in the matter.

 

1. Hon’ble Mr. Tejendra Khanna, Lt Governor of Delhi: The law in the City of Delhi is being violated with impunity by those who were supposed to have implemented it for reasons best known to MCA. Therefore, we solicit your immediate attention and intervention in the matter.

 

1. Mr. Praful Patel, Union Minister for Civil Aviation as our numerous e mails have miserably failed to draw your attention in the matter for the reasons best known to you.

 

1. Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India – Our repeated appeals to you have gone in vain though you hold the charge of Ministry of Environment and Forests and you are on inauguration of airports spree. On World platforms and Forums we always commit ourselves to protection of environment back home we completely ignore the statements made by us and violate the laws of the land in favour of those who have money and ignore the citizens as is happening in this case.

 

1. Hon’ble Mrs. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil, President of India –  All the Constitutional authorities,  State functionaries and officers of  Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Environment and Forests have failed to act despite having been approached time and again..

                     
 

–
Regards,

Anil Sood                     Anil Sharma    
President             Secretary                  
Cell. 9810514696           9811320203    
A-417, Som Dutt Chamber-1,
5 Bhika Ji Cama Place,
New Delhi-110066
Web Site: www.chetna.org.in
E mail: chetna_regd@rediffmail.com