The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and DirectorateGeneral of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on a plea seeking to install a fail-safe mechanism -- Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS) -- to stop aircraft from overshooting runways at vulnerable airports like Kozhikode and Mangaluru.
A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde, while issuing notice the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA asked them to file their response on the plea.
The plea, which also sought directions to examine what other airports require such mechanisms and for installationof the same, said that there was a "deliberate omission" for years to install EMAS in the airports.
"Issue appropriate order or direction, directing the respondents (MoCA and DGCA) to install the EMAS in the airports located in Mangalore, Karnataka and Calicut, Kerala. Direct respondents to examine which other runways and airports in the country require such EMAS and pass directions for installations of the same," the plea said. It also sought directions for an enquiry to be conducted as to why EMAS were not installed at these airports earlier despite the knowledge of the same and take appropriate actions against the officials responsible under criminal law or any other law.