MUMBAI: Aggressive remarks made by Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh against allowing helipads for private use will surely upset the plans of billionaire Mukesh Ambani who wanted to have not one by three helipads on the top of his new billion dollar home under construction.
Mukesh, the head honcho of Reliance Industries, is constructing a new home called ‘Antilia,’ a 27 storied building at an estimated cost of $2.09 billion, about Rs 10,000 crore, in Mumbai.
The imposing skyscraper, which is being constructed as vertical glass palace has been planned with 3 helipads, including a full-fledged air traffic control room, atop the skyscraper.
Aviation experts feel that with the environmental lobby, already protesting against any private helipads in the city, and with the Environment Minister now affirming with them, setting up even one helipad atop his home will be next to impossible for the Ambani. The Maharashtra Government in the past have brushed aside objections by environmentalists when the senior Ambani wanted to set up a helipad atop ‘Seawind’ his current home.
Despite huge opposition from several groups, who objected to Ambani’s plan for a helipad atop his home as it violated the provisions of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, the state government made necessary amendments to the Development Control (DC) regulations to permit helipads on top of buildings, after which The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), gave the go ahead, paving the way for the ‘Seawind’ helipad plan.
At present, the captains of industry and top politicians use the helipad at the Mahalaxmi racecourse for which The Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) has obtained permission from the BMC, but the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has not allowed the use of the racecourse as a permanent helipad.