In 1997, a Bangalore-based NGO called the Environment Support Group filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Karnataka High Court. A key concern of the group was that the second runway in Mangalore airport would not be able to meet the standards required while dealing with an emergency, particularly during landings and take-offs. The court dismissed the PIL. In a new PIL in 2002, the group warned, “The inevitable consequence could be that the plane will come crashing down the hillsides from a height of 80-100 metres...” The court dismissed this PIL too. The group challenged this verdict in the Supreme Court, which said, “We see no reason to interfere... We, however, clarify that in constructing the Airport, the Government shall comply with all applicable laws and also with environmental norms.”
No lessons learned
But government agencies did not comply with laws or norms, and several violations led to the loss of 158 lives on May 22, 2010, when AIE 812 crashed on landing in Mangalore. The aircraft overshot the runway, plunged down the hillside as the petitioners had warned, and burst into flames. The PIL which highlighted all the violations was also dismissed by the Supreme Court, showing the judiciary’s reluctance to act against government agencies. Only the pilot was blamed. The cover-up report, which contained a well-orchestrated litany of lies, resulted in lessons not being learned to prevent a recurrence.
