Raviprasad Kamila

• AAI was not consulted on giving permission to build the tower
• Radio frequency may interfere with air traffic signals 
   

Mangalore, Apr 17: A telecom tower has come up at Kaikamba, about 2.5 k.m. away from Bajpe airport posing problems to pilots. The tower has not been approved by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

Sources in the AAI said 45-metre tower could pose threat to aircraft movements as it was under the approach surface of the old runway.

Signalling Trouble: A telecom tower built by private telecom provider at Kaikamba near Bajpe airport.

Sources said that pilots had complained to AAI that the tower was coming in the way of approach of the old runway. Moreover, if it was commissioned signals could disturb air traffic services. AAI had not permitted any agency to build such a tall tower near the airport. The Ganjimath Gram Panchayat had been asked to get the tower removed immediately.

According to sources, any tower could not exceed 15 metres in height. Here the tower had been built under the limits of Ganjimath Gram Panchayat without brining it to the notice of the AAI.

When contacted, gram panchayat vice-president Sunil told The Hindu that the panchayat did not permit any telecom service provider to erect the tower. In fact, it came to his notice only when some AAI officials contacted him. The panchayat could permit such a tower only if the service providers produced no-objection certificate from the AAI. Even for the construction of high-rise buildings in the vicinity of the airport, the panchayats concerned should insist on a no-objection certificate from AAI. Mr. Sunil said he would enquire which agency had built the tower. If the AAI wrote to the panchayat about the problems the tower would pose, he said.

Sources in Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) said that the tower did not belong to BSNL. Earlier, BSNL wanted to build such a tower at Kaikamba. But the AAI refused permission for security reasons. It was also important to know if the service provider had got clearance from the Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocation (SACFA) functioning under Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, to erect the tower there, they said.