Aviation safety concerns: LDA removes 7 illegal rooftop structures near Lucknow airport
LDA secretary Vivek Srivastava confirmed on Saturday that the authority identified 13 such buildings through a survey conducted soon after the airport authorities raised the red flag.
'We found violations on the rooftops of several houses, including temporary and permanent encroachments. Out of the 13, we have acted on seven and removed the unauthorized additions,' Srivastava stated.
The remaining six structures are yet to be acted upon. Srivastava said the LDA is waiting for a mutually agreed date from the airport administration to conduct another joint drive.
'So far, we have not received a fresh timeline from the airport authorities,' he added.
A Hindustan Times report published on August 29, 2024 had highlighted that nearly 50 houses had been constructed within 500 metres of the airport's boundary wall, in clear violation of aviation norms. These structures were flagged by the airport for posing a risk to aircraft operations and notices for demolition were served.
Quoting the Aircraft Act, 1934, a spokesperson for the airport had then stated that construction within a 20-km radius of any airport must be preceded by a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the authority concerned .
'Several houses were constructed without seeking necessary permissions, which is a threat to flight safety,' the spokesperson had said.
Sources at the airport confirmed that during a recent district-level meeting, officials once again raised the issue and requested the LDA to take decisive action against such illegal constructions. They also revealed that the original objection letter was sent almost a year ago, but comprehensive enforcement is still awaited.
When contacted, LDA's zonal Incharge Devansh Trivedi on Saturday said no fresh letter from the airport authorities has been received till date.
Meanwhile, action against a developer who had constructed over 20 houses near the airport boundary remains stalled. Although the LDA had issued a demolition order, the matter was put on hold after the developer appealed before the divisional commissioner. Despite inspections by senior officials, including additional secretary Gyanendra Verma, no further action has been taken, said an LDA official.
Sources within LDA attribute the delay to administrative transitions and lack of coordination among departments.
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