It’s a busy time at the Kempegowda International Airport, and not only due to the air traffic. Its grounds are a hive of activity owing to the construction of the 4000 m x 60 m new south parallel runway that has been underway for a few months now. While passengers have taken a hit with flights restricted to certain times of the day owing to construction work, people living close to the KIAL are not having it easy either as the billowing dust from the airport has made their lives miserable.
It’s easy to see why, as besides the bustle of passengers at KIAL, you see JCBs moving across the landscape, lifting and dumping mud into trucks as workers busily go about their work to expand the airport, that is already the busiest after the Delhi and Mumbai airports.
But while the city awaits the new-look, bigger KIAL, which is still many years away, with the official deadline being 2021 for completion of phase 1 of Terminal 2, that will also have a phase 2, the construction of the second runway, is throwing up dust that is severely affecting those living in the vicinity of the airport.
Fed up with the dust filing their lungs, angry locals staged a protest on Sunday and also filed a complaint with the Mylanahalli police station against the Kempegowda International Airport for not taking enough precautions during the construction of the runway. Complaining of breathing trouble and respiratory problems owing to the dust, the people say their children too are having a bad time.
Says a barber, Muniyappa , who owns a saloon in Mylanahalli, “On Sunday we protested and filed a complaint with the Mylanahalli police as the dust from the construction work at the airport is affecting everyone here, especially the children.”
The new runway being laid at Devanahalli for Kempagowda International Airport, near Mayenahalli Village which dust from the construction work is causing problems for residents. (photo: R. Samuel)
His assistant, Muniraju adds that while the airport authorities have started to use water to prevent the dust from rising into the air , this has come a little too late as ever since the construction began late last year, dust levels have risen in the village.
Has it affected crops in the area? “Not yet, but it could soon,” warns Muniyappa. A worker involved in the construction of a house adjacent to the airport, too says the dust from the airport is clearly visible as it rises into the air. “It was only on Sunday that the authorities began using water to help the dust settle. They should have started this months ago when the construction began. A lot of people have been affected here,” he adds.
A local schoolgirl , Savitha, says she constantly sneezes due to the dust in the air and children in the village have not been able to eat as the dust settles on everything
A doctor from the NMPC hospital, warns that dust from construction debris can affect people’s respiratory systems and be very dangerous for children, especially babies. So why hasn’t the KIAL taken enough precautions to prevent the dust from rising at the construction site? The answer wasn’t readily available as its spokesperson said she was not authorized to speak on the subject and would have to refer the matter to the higher authorities
‘Use treated water to settle dust’
With villages in and around Kempegowda International Airport complaining of the dust from the construction activity in its grounds, city architect, Naresh Narasimhan says water is the only solution at this point.
“There is a lot of treated sewage water available at the airport which can be judiciously used to help the dust settle,” he suggests.While he believes some clever site planning could have helped control the problem , he says the dust will eventually settle down even now. “The excavation work will not last very long. Once it is done and the concrete starts to get laid, the problem will gradually disappear,” he explains.
Urban planning expert, Ashwin Mahesh agrees that some clever site planning, keeping the wind direction in mind, could have kept the dust from reaching nearby villages. Installation of a temporary screen too could have kept the dust away from them, he says.
In his view methods of dust control used in mining operations too could have helped control the dust at the airport. But as of now water is the only option, he agrees. “The site has to be constantly watered to ensure that the dust does not rise and affect people living close to the airport,” he suggests.
Dust inevitable in such large construction projects: Devesh Agarwal (An
Aviation Enthusiast)
The work on the second runway was started sometime ago. I understand that a lot of people have complained about the dust that is rising from the construction site. But let me say that you can a expect a lot of dust to rise in any major construction activity. In this case, the BIAL is extending the airport’s capacity, which is only going to serve the city’s interests. In my experience with the Kempegowda International Airport, the BIAL, which manages the show, has always proved to be a very diligent and honest management. I believe it would have taken every precaution to ensure there is minimal damage to people and the environment.
Right now they are spraying water to help the dust settle. Can you imagine how much water would be wasted if they did this on a daily basis? Can we afford to waste so much of water when all our dams and reservoirs are running dry and what is left has to be shared with a neighbouring state? Instead we could put up with the dust that is inevitable in such a large construction project, as expanding the Kempegowda International Airport is in the best interests of Namma Bengaluru, which is growing fast and needs a bigger airport.
