The Kolkata airport authorities have objected to certain proposals of Metro Railways for the airport-New Barrackpore project, which includes the ones for the construction of a station and the shifting of a gate used by fire tenders and ambulances to access the runway.
In a letter, the airport authorities have asked Metro to alter their construction plans for the proposed corridor.
In December, Metro made several proposals in connection with the construction of the airport-New Barrackpore corridor. Work on the corridor is stalled for several months and the recent objections from the airport have only made resumption of work even more uncertain.
The airport authorities have objected to the proposal of building a 4m-tall station that they said would come directly in the path of the runway.
“In the said proposal (sent by Metro Railway in December 2023) a Metro station having a height of four metres from ground will come up exactly on 19L (northern side of runway) approach path of the aircraft, which will not only permanently close the crash gate number 08 but also permanently relocate the last two crossbar approach lights…” the letter from the airport authorities to Metro said.
“Therefore the same will not be feasible as it is a major safety hazard for landing and take-off of aircraft.”
An airport official said flights take off and land from the northern end of the runway for nine months in a year because of the wind pattern in Kolkata.
“Hence, it will be impossible to allow construction of the station on the approach path of flights. Flight operations will be severely affected if permission is given for the station,” he said.
Another objection from the airport authorities is to a proposal to shift a crash gate, which is now located on the edge of the runway’s northern end. Fire tenders and ambulances access the runway through the gate during an emergency.
“The location of crash gate No. 08 is exactly on the beginning of runway 19L, which is a mandatory DGCA (directorate general of civil aviation) requirement. The same cannot be shifted as it may increase the response time for city fire team, ambulance or other emergency services in case of crash situation,” the letter said.
Metro Railway had also proposed that the two rows of runway approach lights, which assist flights in landing, be relocated to the top of the proposed station.
“This will not be feasible as it will decrease the capacity of the primary runway, resulting in reduction of flight operations,” the letter said.
The letter also mentioned a crane with a 30m arm that Metro wants to use for the construction, saying the Metro authorities had not obtained a no-objection certificate from the airport authorities for the use of the crane.
“Metro Railway is requested to plan their work without altering the existing infrastructure of the airport,” the letter said.
“We will have to re-examine the project and find a solution to the problems,” said Uday Kumar Reddy, general manager of Metro Rail.
A Metro official said the airport-New Barrackpore project was crucial for local commuters and the delays were escalating the project cost.
The Telegraph has reported that the work has been stalled for months after the airport authorities raised objections to the use of the crane with a 30m-high arm.
A team of experts from the Airports Authority of India from Delhi had recently visited the airport for the safety review and would submit a report.
The airport-Barasat Metro project, already delayed by several years, was commissioned in January 2011 but never got going because of land logjams.