New Delhi: The Ministry of Civil Aviation Wednesday proposed draft rules titled Aircraft (Demolition of Obstructions Buildings and Trees etc.) Rules, 2025, aimed at tightening control over illegal buildings and trees near airports, in the aftermath of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad.
On 12 June, a London bound Air India flight, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed in Ahmedabad. Of the 242 people on board, 241 died. The crash also killed people on ground, including students of the BJ Medical College taking the death toll to at least 270.
The draft rules mandate that if there is non-compliance of the orders within the specified time frame by the Director General of Civil Aviation or the owners of the buildings or the trees, District Collector shall carry out demolition of the building or the cutting of the tree or reduction in height of the building, as the case may be, in the same manner and by the same procedure as is followed in case of demolition of any unauthorised construction in a district.
The Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, empowers the Central government to prohibit or regulate the construction of buildings, planting of trees etc. near aerodromes. The proposed rules mandate that if the Central government has issued a notification and the in-charge of the relevant aerodrome believes that a building or tree violates its provisions, they must provide a copy of the notification to the owner.
The officer in charge of the aerodrome should also immediately report these violations to the Director General or an authorised officer.
The owner of the building or tree must, within a period of 60 days, provide the details sought, including a plan showing the location of the building or tree, and disclosing the dimensions or any other details specified in the order by the DGCA. The Director General may increase the 60-day limit upon submission of reasonable grounds.
Failure to comply with the norms may result in the details submitted by the Aerodrome Operator being considered final. The information provided by the owner will be forwarded by the aerodrome in-charge to the DGCA along with his or her comments.
“Before forwarding the details to the Director General, the officer-in-charge of the aerodrome shall satisfy himself about the correctness of the details and, for that purpose, he shall be empowered to enter the premises in question and carry out physical verification of the dimensions of the building or tree, as the case may be, during daylight hours and with reasonable prior notice to the owner, who shall be duty bound to extend full cooperation during such physical verification,” the draft rules say.
Upon these verifications, the DG or any officer authorised by him can order the owner to demolish the building, cut the tree, or reduce their heights. The order will also set a deadline and, if height reduction is required, it will specify the allowed height. The owner can claim compensation unless the constructions have been made after the issuance/publishing of this notification in the Official Gazette.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also read: Air India crash: Students & doctors suffered Rs 2.69 cr in losses, Gujarat govt to raise claim