The mining for granite and earth around the Bajpe hill will not affect the Mangalore International Airport runway or its infrastructure, clarified officials of the mining and geology department of Karnataka.
The mining for granite and earth around the Bajpe hill will not affect the Mangalore International Airport runway or its infrastructure, clarified officials of the mining and geology department of Karnataka. They also stated that no licence was given to any company or individual to mine for 900 metres outside the perimeter wall of the tabletop airport.
DNA sought the opinions of experts in the department on the ongoing mining in the area. “The Bajpe Hill was Geo-morphologically stable as it was composed of granite and thick layers of laterite stone. Moreover, we have not given licence to any company or individuals to mine for granite or move earth for 900 meters outside the perimeter wall of airport. There could be some illegal small time miners who will be stopped, in fact nobody can use heavy earth moving machinery or undertake blasting near any vital infrastructure. The department of mines and geology works closely with the explosives department in giving out licences to use explosives,” an official said.
When asked if the mining going around the hill was detrimental to the airport, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials quipped back: “How can a runway ‘cave in’ just because the airport was at a table top?, There were over 125,000 flight movements taken place on this airport ever since it was upgraded. Even today flights were landing and taking off safely without any problems. How can anybody suggest any danger to the runway?”
“The new runway has been built after carrying out several quality ground tests. Soil testing has been carried at dozens of places and the strength of the ground has been certified by a consortium of qualified structural engineers and geologists. The runway was fit for at least 50 years and more, they have certified there was no danger of the runway developing any kind of faults,” sources in the engineering company that built the runway said.
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