VIMANA NILDHANA VISTHARANA VIRODHI SAMITHI

ADYAPADY VILLAGE, MANGALORE TALUK, DAKSHINA KANNADA -574142

Tel:0824-752081/752623

Environment Support Group ®

36, Reservoir Road, Basavanagudi, Bangalore 560 004. INDIA

Telefax: 91-80-6614855 or 2274699 Email: [email protected]

 

 

Mr. Renato Cláudio Costa Pereira

The Secretary General

International Civil Aviation Organisation

999 University street

Montreal, Quebec

Canada H3C 5H7

Fax: (514) 954-6077

 

                                                                                   

                                                                                                            18 December, 1999

 

Dear Mr. Pereira,

 

Kindly recall our correspondence with you in our letters dated 06 November 1998 and 10 December 1998 (enclosed).  We had highlighted in these letters several critical lapses pertaining to the location, design and compliance with standards of the proposed expansion of the Airport in Bajpe, Mangalore, India.

 

We had for instance highlighted that the statement filed by the Airports Authority of India in the High Court of Karnataka in response to a Public Interest Litigation we had initiated had summarily dismissed our contention that the airport was being developed in violation of ICAO regulations.  This without producing any evidence to contradict our documented claims on this aspect.

 

Thereby, we had requested clarification from your office with regard to:

 

1.      Whether India has made a notification as per Article 38 of the ICAO convention?

2.      Whether the Airports Authority of India has notified the “differences” with regard to the width of the runway for the proposed 2nd runway and terminal of the Mangalore airport.

 

The express reason for this was to set at rest claims and counter-claims, and seek an authoritative statement from your office on whether ICAO would approve such a location and design for an airport, purportedly proposed to be developed as an International Standards airport.

 

As we have had no response to our previous representations, we approach you once again, in person, for a clarification in this regard.  Not only will this help the wider public interest in regard to sustaining air safety standards, but would also serve in advancing the wider public interest in our country.

 

We will be grateful if you will confirm your opinion on this matter at your earliest convenience.

 

Thanking you,

 

Yours truly,

 

 

Arthur Pereira                                                            Leo F. Saldanha

Secretary                                                                   Coordinator

Vimana Nildhana Vistharana                                   Environment Support Group

Virodhi Samithi        

 

 

Encl.:  As above