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Mohali admn starts razing illegal structures near airport
As many as 10 commercial structures constructed after 2011 within 100 metres of the airport in Pabhat were razed by the Mohali administration on Tuesday
Nearly five years after the Punjab and Haryana high court told the Punjab government to remove illegal structures around Chandigarh airport, the district administration finally set the demolition drive in motion on Tuesday.
As many as 10 commercial structures constructed after 2011 within 100 metres of the airport in Pabhat were razed by the administration. Sensing a backlash from locals, who were opposing the demolition orders, heavy police force was deployed in the area.
Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) in August 2018, the court had said illegal constructions in the vicinity of the airport was a serious issue and the Punjab government needed to deal with it on priority. It was a “statutory” duty of the state government to remove hurdles in safe flight operations at the airport, the court had said.
The PIL was filed by the Mohali Industries Association in 2015 to highlight infrastructure deficiencies at the airport. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has also termed mushrooming of illegal structures in the area a threat to the airport.
Zirakpur municipal council executive officer (EO) Ravneet Singh said in line with HC directions, all illegal structures within 100 metres of Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport in Mohali will be removed. “The drive was held up during the Covid-19 pandemic and also due to objections from stakeholders concerned. To begin with, 10 commercial structures were demolished on Tuesday. Residential buildings will be demolished at a later stage, as the state government is in the process of finalising their compensation,” he said.
In March 2011, construction within the 100-metre periphery of the airport was banned through a notification issued under the Works of Defence Act, 1903.
As per 2019 proceedings of the high court, there are 314 structures falling within 100 metres of the airport in Pabhat. Of these, the illegal structures are estimated to be 98 in number.
Displaced people to be rehabilitated
In May this year, the Punjab government had informed the high court that the illegal constructions will be removed within eight weeks. The state had also apprised the court that not only those whose construction was as per norms, but also those whose structures were illegal will be compensated and rehabilitated, as decided in a meeting chaired by chief minister Bhagwant Mann.
Sources in the administration said the state government had tasked the local government department with formulating a rehabilitation scheme in Zirakpur or Mohali in consultation with the department of housing and urban development.
