The latest objection fielded by the ATCs is that the equipment, only second to the system at Oslo airport in Norway and already in operation at some of the busiest airports in the world, `does not fulfill their requirements'. Technicians installing the new VHF Omni-directional Range (VOR) and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) at four points outside Mumbai -- at Sinnar, Mandvi, Sahabad near Alibag and Kalamb -- had already complained of malfunctions in the systems. The VOR and DME are expected to upgrade navigational and landing aids and facilitate distribution of aircraft waiting for landing clearance and consequently to decongest air traffic over Mumbai's skies.

Incidentally, thenew system in Delhi was installed by Raytheon engineers, but at Mumbai, the task was entrusted to to AAI's technicians trained by the company due to delays.

Consequently the equipment has been gathering dust since the last three years, even though the new control towers were to become operational by March 1997 in Delhi and June 1998 in Mumbai, according to a directive of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. In fact, the ATCs are also quibbling with the AAI over whether installation of the system is at all complete, with the AAI maintaining it is. While the engineers' and technicians' unions of the AAI and the powerful Air Traffic Controllers' Unions maintain that only part of the equipment has been installed, AAI authorities say the system is indeed entirely in place.

Against an original cost of Rs 209.76 crore with a foreign exchange component of Rs 162.05 crore, delays have pushed the figure up to Rs 423.89 crore with a foreign exchange component of Rs 266.48 crore. Further delays have raised the costanother Rs 150 crore.

Says ATC Guild Regional Secretary, P N Bahuguna: ``Construction of the towers is complete at both airports but the equipment installed so far does not fulfill our requirements.'' The installation is followed by a systems' check, after which the ATCs run a `shake down' test to judge the system's efficiency in a real working environment.

The ATCs also say they will not be able to use the equipment till the current shortage of ATCs eases. Ironically, the system is designed to reduce manpower with technology taking over some of the ATCs' functions. Against a requirement of around 170 ATCs at Mumbai, which handles nearly 40 per cent of the country's air traffic, it has a staff of only 78 ATCs, Bahuguna says.

An AAI survey last year showed that the 800-odd ATCs working throughout the country were overworked and highlighted the need to recruit an additional staff of at least 350 ATCs for increased efficiency. ``A sufficient number of ATCs haven't even been trained to carry out thisexercise,'' Bahuguna adds.

He also alleges that the AAI has taken key decisions regarding the new towers without consulting the ATCs. ``The equipment, however advanced, can only serve as an aid to an ATC, who has to actually take split-second decisions. Once the towers are made operational, Raytheon will not be accountable for failure, but it will be the ATC on duty who will be nailed,'' he says. Also, he underscores, the ATCs will not accept the equipment unless they are completely satisfied with it.

AAI officials, who refused to be named, counter this, pointing out that the new system will facilitate the ATCs' job while also making them 100 per cent accountable. The ATCs will no longer be able to blame mishaps on pilot error among other things. Instead, they will be forced to shoulder equal responsibility as there would be no room for complacency, an official pointed out.

The project has been dogged by other problems from the very beginning like land acquisition, leakage in a water pipeline at Mumbaiairport, delays in civil and electrical works and change in the scope of the work due to upgradation of the system. The failure of a number of components during installation also necessitated the reimport of damaged items and modifications in radar equipment.

Senior AAI officials dodged queries on the subject. Even the Director General of Civil Aviation, H S Khola, who was in Mumbai recently to address the 10th conference of the Airlines Association for Human Resource Development, refused to comment.