Forget Pak, IAF's the threat

(##include msid=43376741,type=11##)JAMNAGAR: Jet fighters flying low over Reliance''s 27 million tonne perannum refinery here often give jitters in the Rs 30,000-crore complex where asmall spark is enough to cause a catastrophe.And Friday morning''s MiG-21 crash at Lakha Baval village —located just 16 km from the refinery — has come as a wake-up call for thedistrict administration which has announced its intention to call a meetingbetween Indian Air Force and Reliance officials to strictly enforce the norms on''no-fly zone'', something, the company officials claim, has been frequentlyviolated.But official sources in the collectorate say that the risksposed by aircraft flying low over the refinery has been a subject of endlesscorrespondence between the Reliance and the Jamnagar Air Force base. From timeto time, even the district administration has been apprised of the problem andrequested for making an intervention.The correspondence (some copiesof which are available with the TNN) began in July 1999 with the Reliance''saviation adviser writing to the chief operations officer of Air Force Station,Jamnagar, stating that "the dangers of over-flying the refinery complex is veryobvious and cannot be over-emphasised. Any mishap can cause unacceptabledisaster. In view of the above, you are requested to evolve a safe procedure foraircraft to transit from Jamnagar airfield to the sectors".A fewmonths before the commissioning of the refinery, an IAF plane had crashed nearSikka, just next to GSFC''s ammonia pipeline. About ten years back, anotheraircraft had crashed near Padana village, quite close to the site where therefinery exists today.However, despite numerousletters being exchanged on the issue, the matter has still not been sorted out.On October 2, 2003, a senior Reliance executive again shot of a letter stating"Air Force aircraft are flying over our refinery complex in spite of repeatedrequests from our side. You are requested to take serious note of our complaintand instruct the concerned persons to totally avoid flying over ourcomplex".The letter attached copies of the log-sheet on observationof overflying aircraft on September 18, 19, 25 and 29. It was found that of the64 flights observed over the refinery, as many as 23 flights flew below thepermissible limit of 600 metres. Subsequently, on October 21, the refineryofficials submitted to the IAF fresh co-ordinates of the complex as well as asketch.Previous correspondence shows that IAF has constantly deniedviolations of flying norms. Air Force officials in the past have assured therefinery that "utmost care" is being taken to avoid flying below the prescribedlimit over the refinery. Besides, it has requested Reliance to report onlyvisual observations as "aircraft flying in the near vicinity or above the safealtitudes may also cause sufficient noise to trigger suchconcerns".Jamnagar district collector T Natrajan now promises tobring both IAF and Reliance officials on the negotiating table to avoid apossible disaster.