June 27, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 22, 1429

RAWALPINDI, June 26: The existence of housing schemes in the vicinity of the new Islamabad International Airport at Pind Ranjha near Fatehjang has come under severe threat as the project management has notified that development of any such scheme would now require its prior approval.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has advised all housing societies to submit applications for No Objection Certificate to the New Islamabad International Airport project director, together with geographical information of the society and the proposed building map.

Constructions in any housing society within a radius of 15km of the under-construction airport, which were carried out without prior approval of the project management, would be demolished and the CAA would not hold any responsibility, a CAA public notification said.

The Civil Aviation Authority has taken this step to ensure safe air operation under the National Airfield Clearance Policy.

The authority intends to make the air space around the new airport, which is the first ‘green-field’ airport in Pakistan, safe for aircraft landings and take-offs.

Solid waste and garbage always attract wild birds and the new CAA measure is to bound the housing societies to ensure maintenance of air and ground environment and scientific disposal of solid waste and garbage that would be generated once areas around the new airport would turn into populous residential and commercial localities.

The CAA has already erected the parameter wall around the area of new airport, which is envisaged to be a modern landmark structure. The new airport site covers 3,200 acres which were acquired by the CAA in the 80s.

Scores of housing schemes have been developed near the new airport and more are emerging. Housing schemes owned by government, semi-government organisations and departments and private concerns started to develop on a vast area starting from Tarnol up to Fatehjang much before the construction work on the new airport began.

APP ADDS: Construction work on the multi-million dollar airport has entered the second phase.

According to sources in the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the second phase includes construction of runway, taxi way, emergency runway, apron and airside infrastructure.

A contractor, who was issued a Letter of Acceptance by the CAA, had started moving in the required machinery, the sources said.

They said in the first phase, the site for the terminal and the runway was prepared through compaction process.

The project, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010, would offer international standard facilities to 6.5 million passengers annually, besides handling 100,000 metric tons of cargo.

At the new airport, a sprawling piece of land has been earmarked for commercial activities like Duty Free Shops, hotel and convention centre, food courts, and leisure and recreational facilities.