Row over high-rise buildings

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 4: The English Bazaar municipality authorities are in trouble following the Airport Authority’s objection against the construction of four-storied buildings in the vicinity of the airport that is proposed for reopening. Although inconvenienced, the EBM authorities have finally instructed its civil engineers to conduct a survey of all high-rise on the side of the National Highway 34 and on the eastern side of the existing airfield, the civic body officials said today. The EBM chief was forced to take the decision after receiving a letter from the Malda district magistrate intimating him of the Airport Authority of India’s reservation against permitting four storied buildings near the airstrip to keep free the flying zone. To complicate matters, the municipal authorities had already given permission for the construction of a number of four-storied buildings including two six storied ones along the NH 34 before receiving the district magistrate’s letter. The EBM chief Mr Narendranath Tiwari said that they would review the position of the multistory buildings along the NH 34 on the basis of the engineers’ report. “ We cannot cancel the permissions already given for the construction of the multistory buildings without a resolution in the board of councillors’ meeting,” Mr Tiwari said. “The matter would be discussed in the next board meeting,” he added.Not only the high-rise buildings, the AAI had also objected to a garbage dumping ground at Chandan Park, very close to the Malda airport, the EBM officials said. Senior Trinamul councillor Ms Sumala Agarwal said: “ We have already decided to shift the garbage dumping ground from Chandan park to elsewhere. We have inspected four sites for a proposed solid waste management project. Chandan Park is not sufficient for the average two metric ton garbage the town spews every day. We need more land,” she added.