State, HUDA may call for shifting of IAF depot

GURGAON: Even as thousands of residents living within a 900-metre radius of the IAF ammunition depot in the city are faced with a certain ambiguity on their status, the state government and HUDA officials are considering recommending shifting of the depot itself from Gurgaon to Faridabad.
The option of shifting the IAF depot was discussed in a recent high-level meeting held in Chandigarh in which the strategy to tackle the issue of illegal constructions that have come up within 900 metres around the ammunition depot.Confirming discussion of the option, the HUDA administrator, Praveen Kumar, said: “The option of shifting the ammunition depot to Faridabad was discussed as a possible solution to tackle the problem in the city. No final decision has been taken in the meeting.”
The Central government, which has to make the final call, has hinted that the depot would not be shifted but now the state government is reworking the strategy.
“The IAF has over 5,500 acres of land in Faridabad where the depot can be shifted easily. The location of the land is such that it would be the right place for the construction of the depot,” said Kumar. At present, Kumar said, the land is uncultivated and there is only one small office of the IAF. In the meeting, the officials mentioned that the shifting the depot from Gurgaon to Faridabad would not make much difference.
“The coordinates of Gurgaon and Faridabad are similar and both the places are near Delhi. So shifting to Faridabad should not be a big problem,” said another government official who had attended the meeting. Kumar is part of the standing committee formed by the state government to look into the status of the new construction around the IAF ammunition depot in Gurgaon.
The committee members also discussed the status of the houses that have come up in the past several years. According to the IAF regulations, no construction activity is allowed within 900 metres from the ammunition depot. The committee members also discussed viability of the 900-metre land itself. “The rule is very old and now the geographical situation has changed dramatically so it is the right time to look at the validity of the rule,” said Kumar. The committee members also debated the exact location of the zero point (the area from where the restrictive zone starts) being considered for the 900-metre no-construction zone.