Mumbai: After Bangalore, the civic administration in Mumbai may allow helipads on residential towers for commercial and personal use. The BMC has said that primarily, helipads on high-rises will help it tackle emergencies, especially fires, in a better way.
In fact, in 2014, the state Urban Development Department had launched the process of drafting a proposal that made it compulsory to construct helipads on buildings that are more than 150-200 metres high, after a Coast Guard chopper was successfully deployed for rescue work in the Lotus Park fire that year.
Currently, Mumbai has three helipads for such use, located at the domestic airport (where rates are considered exorbitant even by corporate standards), the Juhu aerodome, and the Mahalaxmi Racecourse (the latter two don't allow flying and landing at night).
The two helipads in south Mumbai that are out of bounds for citizens, are at the Raj Bhawan, and the Indian Naval Ship Shikara (Kunjali) at Colaba.
In March last year, the Karnataka government gave clearances to 20 high-rise buildings in Bangalore, including 10 residential towers, to build helipads for commercial and personal use.
07/02/16 Sanjeev Shivadekar/Mumbai Mirror
