Real Estate Boom Threat for Yelahanka Air Force Station
Mounting pressure in Bengaluru to spread northwards as real estate boom threatens Air Force Station Yelahanka.
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Mushrooming growth of real estate in Bengaluru is the newest problem posing a threat to flying operations of Air Force Station (AFS), Yelahanka, said Group Captain Amit Pushkar, COO, AFS Yelahanka, on Wednesday.
He said though every new construction in the vicinity of AFS has “to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) and multiple permissions from various agencies like the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and others, we are detecting violations”.
During a presentation, Pushkar highlighted 50-metre-high cranes at construction sites near AFC Yelahanka.
Every construction within a radius of 20 km from the Air Force station has to obtain an NOC, added Wing Commander JP Sebharwal.
There is a mounting pressure in Bengaluru to spread northwards, population is increasing. Local population adds pressure on the land.
—Air Commodore SC Gulati, Air Officer Commanding of AFS Yelahanka
Gulati said AFS Yelahanka in August took up the issue of such constructions with Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) to understand the prevailing conditions and for better management.
AFC Yelahanka, the premier transport and helicopter training base of the Indian Air Force (IAF), trains pilots and navigators for the IAF, Navy and Coast Guard and comes in handy for relief operations.
The major assets of AFS Yelahanka are AN-32 and Dornier-228 aircraft and Mi-class helicopters.