No helipads till HC verdict

The civic body has slapped an embargo on sanctions to private helipads on terraces and will also send notices to private buildings where the construction of helipads is in progress.

The civic body has slapped an embargo on sanctions to private helipads on terraces and will also send notices to private buildings where the construction of helipads is in progress.

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The matter is in court and the civic body is waiting for the high court and state government to give their verdict on it first.

On Thursday, a decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the civic improvements committee that clears such
proposals. The state government had directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to incorporate rule 71 in the development control (DC) rules to allow private helipads on rooftops of buildings.

The proposal has been pending before the improvements committee. City activists have challenged the government move in the high court.

Following a complaint by Congress member on the committee, Baldevsingh Manku, that a private helipad was already in use in Goregaon though the civic body had not given it permission, the improvements committee directed the administration to shut the helipad.

“No private party can use a helipad unless the proposal is cleared by the civic body,” said Manoj Kotak chairman of the improvements committee.

According to the proposal for amendment in the DC Rule, anyone can build a helipad on the terrace of a building after getting a no-objection certification from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, chief fire officer, urban development department, police, environment ministry and the civil aviation department.

Once this is got, the BMC will allow the helipad to be constructed on the cantilever portion of the building. This would not be counted in the building’s floor space index.

Rajendra Wale, deputy municipal commissioner, said, “There are three (two in the island city and one in the western suburbs) proposals for helipads pending with the civic body.”

City-based NGO, Awaaz, had filed a PIL saying noise levels in the city would increase drastically because of the government's decision to allow helipads atop buildings.