It has become a major cause of concern and alarm for many residents, planners, and developers regarding the recent notification issued by the Office of the Deputy Commissioner – Imphal West, mandating No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for all structures within a 56 km radius of Imphal International Airport.
While the directive aligns with national aviation safety regulations, many critics have raised the question that the blanket enforcement of these rules in a geographically unique region like the Imphal Valley calls for a more nuanced and localized approach.
“What purpose does it serve to restrict 4-5 storey buildings at Langol or foothill regions when the natural hills around have already soared higher than any man-made structure could?” questioned a city planner who preferred to remain anonymous. “The regulation doesn’t distinguish between strategic flight paths and safe zones, leading to unnecessary delays and denial of projects.”
As the Imphal Valley, a narrow basin surrounded by high mountain ranges, has long faced constraints on horizontal urban expansion. With land already at a premium, vertical development has increasingly become the only viable option for housing and infrastructure growth. However, stakeholders argue that imposing a uniform 56 km no-clearance zone — which encompasses almost the entirety of the valley — is impractical and could stifle critical development.
The notice, issued in accordance with the Indian Aircraft Act 2024 and DGCA’s Civil Aviation Requirements, mandates that any construction — including buildings, towers, or trees — within the defined airspace zone must secure prior height clearance through the Airport Authority of India’s online portal.
“Many families are waiting to build homes on ancestral land in the valley’s outskirts, but now they must navigate complex NOC procedures even for modest structures,” said Thokchom Ibomcha, a local resident who has assumed that he is also affected by the new rules.
The implications of such sweeping restrictions go beyond urban planning. As population pressure rises and available land remains fixed, housing shortages could intensify. Developers fear mounting red tape will drive up construction costs, ultimately burdening homebuyers. For a region still catching up economically, such barriers risk widening inequality.
With this complexity at front, many have called for a Customized Zoning Approach and experts and community leaders are calling on the Airport Authority of India (AAI) and DGCA to revisit their zoning approach for hilly regions like Imphal. Instead of a one-size-fits-all 56 km radius, they propose a customized zoning map based on actual topography, verified flight paths, terrain elevation data, and safe buffer distances specific to the airport’s direction of approach and departure. Many opined that such a framework would preserve air safety while allowing for rational development in non-sensitive areas.
Many also urge the state government and district administration to engage in wider consultation with urban planners, technical experts, and citizens to create awareness and seek clarity on where construction is genuinely restricted. The notice mentions an interactive map on the AAI portal, but locals say access remains difficult, and there is little ground-level awareness about the application process.
While the importance of aviation safety cannot be overstated, its enforcement should not come at the cost of logical development. For a landlocked and mountainous region like Imphal, policies must be adapted to geographic and demographic realities. A customized zoning map that safeguards both flight paths and urban livelihoods could be the balanced way.
