By IANS,
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Wednesday lifted the night curfew imposed on the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport’s third runway following complaints of noise pollution from the residents of the Vasant Kunj area.
“The night curfew (banning of landing and take-off between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.) imposed in May last year on the newly commissioned runway has also been lifted for the time being,” a division bench of acting Chief Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Mukta Gupta said.
The bench also said that courts cannot enter into technical issues and said: “Prima-facie it does not appear that what they are doing is something perverse.”
Earlier, the court had barred Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL) from using two runways at the IGI airport after a nearby hospital alleged that the noise created by landing of planes was disturbing its patients.
On Wednesday, DIAL requested the court to lift the ban on runways 29 and 11 as repair work has to start on runway 28.
“If we don’t use runway number 29 and 11 and shut 28 then it will lead to massive chaos,” Rajiv Nayyar, counsel for DIAL said, adding that the capital has to gear up for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games.
The court then allowed the use of runway 29 till the time repair work gets over on runway 28.
On the last date of hearing, the court asked the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) to take “immediate measures” to check noise pollution near the airport that is affecting people at a hospital and a residential area nearby.