Mumbai Real Estate: Height Curbs Loom Over Gorai with HF Station Relocation

Mumbai’s Gorai area in Borivali may soon face height curbs on real estate projects, with the Maharashtra government approving the shifting of the high-frequency (HF) receiving station from Dahisar to Gorai. The facility, vital for flight communication, is being relocated as redevelopment projects in Dahisar remain stalled due to height restrictions.

In a letter dated August 8, 2025, Aseem Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary of the Maharashtra Urban Development Department, noted that during a telephonic meeting with the Civil Aviation Minister and the Commerce and Industry Minister, it was decided that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) would bear the cost of shifting the station and developing infrastructure at Gorai.

According to the communication, approximately 20 acres of land at Gorai will be handed over to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) free of cost for the installation of HF receiving stations. The letter states that once the receiving station is shifted from Dahisar to Gorai, the land ownership at Dahisar will remain with AAI. However, the authority will have to develop the area into a garden or park and keep it open for the general public.

Height restrictions at Gorai

In his letter to the Civil Aviation Ministry secretary, Aseem Gupta noted that the Maharashtra government is aware that height restrictions under AAI rules will apply in Gorai once the receiving station is shifted. The letter further states that limits may be imposed on new constructions and that existing no-objection certificates (NOCs) already granted to ongoing projects in and around Gorai would require ‘reconciliation’ keeping in mind the safe air operations in the city.

What is the high frequency receiving station of AAI?

High-frequency receiving stations are used for signalling purposes for flights that fly in and around the Mumbai airspace. The radars are installed on 58 acres of land owned by AAI in Dahisar. The Union government agreed to shift the radars in August 2017 after the Maharashtra government sought to take over the land parcel for the construction of a Metro car depot. The plan was later scrapped by the Maharashtra government, but the Union government now intends to shift the station due to stalled construction and redevelopment in the area.

Stalled redevelopment projects in Dahisar

Redevelopment in Mumbai’s Dahisar has been stalled due to height restrictions imposed by the AAI around the receiving station. According to a 2024 letter by BJP MLA Manisha Chaudhary to the aviation minister, projects worth ₹7,000–10,000 crore are stuck, affecting more than 10,000 households.

A developer based in Dahisar who did not wish to be named said, 'While we are very hopeful for the shifting of the receiving station from Dahisar to Gorai, the problem looks like it will never end. If the government imposes height restrictions in Gorai, we fear locals and developers from that area will oppose the move. In short, the issue might remain hanging the way it has for almost five years now.'