SAAC demands departmental inquiry against Surat collector

Surat, Gujarat – Sanjay Ezhava, president of Surat Airport Action Committee (SAAC) has demanded a departmental inquiry against the former Surat district collector Ayush Oak and the present collector Dr. Sourabh Pardhi for not taking any action for almost three years against the six illegal buildings posing threat to passengers, aircrafts, airport, and thousands of residents of Vesu area  in Surat. 

Sanjay Ezhava, an RTI activist in Surat gathered all the relevant documents related to the procedural action taken by the DGCA and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) against the high-rise buildings obstructing the flight path of the aircrafts in the funnel of the Surat airport runway. 

In the joint obstruction survey conducted by the Airport Authority in 2018 in 50 projects, NOC violations were found in 41 projects. Under which, as per the Aircraft Rules 1994, notices were issued to 41 projects to reduce the height of the building.

Out of the 41 projects, 14 projects agreed to reduce the height of the building suo moto (voluntarily). The DGCA held private hearings with the builders of all the remaining 27 projects and issued 8 orders on August 6, 2021, 17 orders on August 9, 2021,  and 2 orders on August 10, 2021, ordering 27 projects to reduce the height of the building within a time limit of 60 days.

The developers/builders of 21 projects filed a petition in the Gujarat High Court against the final order of the DGCA (1. Cellestial Dreams, 2. Crystal Palace, 3. Horizon, 4. Rasik Villa, 5. Salasar Palace, 6. Samarth Enclave, 7. Shreeji Residency, 8. Shrungar Residency, 9. OM Icon, 10. Shyam Palace, 11. Star Galaxy, 12. Gokul Platinum, 13. Green Fortune, 14. 7 Heaven Apartment, 15. Empire Regency, 16. Agam A Crossroad, 17. Swastik Vihar Apartment, 18. Jolly Residency, 19. Happy Glorious, 20. The Evolution, 21. Happy Residency. 

However, the remaining six developers/builders didi not file any appeal in the Gujarat High Court including (1. Florence, 2. Jash Residency, 3. Sarjan Apartment, 4. Fionna Apartment, 5. Ravi Ratnam Apartment, 6. L & T Apartment) . The Surat district collector was informed by AAI on July 27, 2022 to demolish the obstruction of the six buildings. Correspondence was exchanged with the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) as well. 

According to Ezhava, Ayush Oak,  IAS was the Collector of Surat from June 26 2021 to February 1, 2024, while Dr Sourabh Pardhi assumed charges as Surat collector on February 2, 2024.  Therefore, both these Collectors are complicit in the above serious dereliction of duty.

“I have demanded  a departmental inquiry and take appropriate legal action against the then and present Collector Ayush Oak and Dr. Sourabh Pardhi for not taking any action against this menace during the period from 27.07.2022 to 03.07.2025, despite the final order of DGCA and the illegal buildings constructed by the builders which pose a threat to passengers, aircraft, airport, thousands of residents of Vesu area and the progress and development of the city, creating obstacles in the runway of the International Airport of Surat city”