Air force concern over wind farms in Tamil Nadu

Wind farms in and around the Sulur air base in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu are violating aviation safety rules and should be removed, say air force officials, although they decline to be quoted. The rules state that no construction is permitted within a 330 metre radius of the runway and structures within a 20 kilometre radius of the air base should meet specifications on height restrictions. The air force says many wind farms do not meet the rules and thus cause problems for pilots who have particular difficulty seeing them at night as the towers have no signals to caution approaching aircraft. It has asked the district administration to investigate the problem.