IGI airport gets sound barrier

Prateek Chauhan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 1

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Airport Authority of India and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) to submit report on the steps being taken to reduce noise pollution in the vicinity of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, New Delhi.

As a measure to reduce noise generated from aircraft at the airport near the 29/11 runway, DIAL has built a sound barrier on its boundary wall.

DIAL had approached the IIT-Delhi for design of a suitable barrier to attenuate aircraft noise in areas beyond the boundary of the airport near the 11-29 runway at the IGI airport. The noise at the airport is generated during braking process shortly after the touchdown. It may also depend on pilot action during landing, size of the aircraft, type of aircraft, and its overall design.

The noise mitigation measures adopted at the Delhi airport were in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which had developed a systematic, flexible and globally applicable solution known as a "balanced approach" for noise management at the airport.

Additionally, the aircraft landing was advised to follow continuous decent approach as per air traffic flow, where pilots and the air traffic control make sure that the aircraft descends at a constant angle with minimum thrust, resulting in lesser noise.

Other measures include ban on operation of civil aircraft during night, restriction in use of reverse thrust, restriction on ground running of aircraft engines, restriction on aircraft auxiliary power unit operations and ground power units operation.

The tribunal's order came on a plea filed by Society for Protection of Culture, Heritage, Environment, Traditions and Promotion of National Awareness, an NGO, seeking execution of the NGT's November 24, 2017, order which directed the authorities concerned to take all mitigating measures for reducing noise pollution expeditiously.

The NGT had said: “The official respondents shall ensure providing of a green belt around the boundary wall of the airport, while keeping the safety and security both in mind. The plantations shall be of the species which would only grow to the permissible height or would be maintained at the permissible height only.”