New Delhi, April 24: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has appealed to Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to relax the building height restrictions imposed by the Defence Department around airfields in Bengaluru citing obstruction of city’s development.
The DCM, who is also in charge of Bengaluru Development, held discussions with the Union Minister in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum. In a memorandum, he said, “The height restriction imposed by the Union Defence Ministry around defence airports and airfields is hindering Bengaluru’s growth. Airport authorities are imposing excessive restrictions while issuing No Objection Certificates (NOC) for construction activities within a 20 km radius of Defence airports in Bengaluru. Bengaluru is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. HAL Airport is located in the heart of the city, where demand for development projects is very high. However, the additional restrictions imposed are obstructing development in these areas.”
He further appealed: “Letters have already been written to the Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Secretary of the Department of Defence Production under the Ministry of Defence, and the Defence Secretary. Please direct the concerned authorities to review the matter keeping both aviation safety and the city’s development in mind, and take necessary steps to resolve the issues that have arisen.”
“Currently, four airports are operational in Bengaluru, of which HAL and Yelahanka Air Base function under the Defence Department. An NOC from airport authorities is required for construction in the surrounding areas. GSR 751(E) specifies that the building height limit within a 15 km radius of an airport is set at 150 metres. However, Defence Department airports have not only imposed excessive restrictions but have also extended the 150-metre height limit beyond 15 km to 20 km. These restrictions are detrimental to Bengaluru’s progress. In many cities including Singapore, Amsterdam, Dallas, London, and Dubai, airports are being used for multiple purposes including offices and entertainment. In these cities, airports play a major role in urban transformation, serving not just as transit hubs but also as employment centres. Therefore, GSR 751(E) must be relaxed, and the 150-metre height limit should be confined to a 15 km radius instead of 20 km,” the state government officials had urged in several letters written to Ministry of Defence officials.
