Bhubaneswar: Water flowing through an open temporary drainage at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) has compounded the bird-hit menace for airline operators.
A portion of the temporary drainage abuts the airport boundary wall at Jagamara Road and can result in its collapse. Bringing more worries to the airport authorities, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology also maintains a pond, which attracts birds, near its airport side boundary wall.
A leading ornithologist, Gahar Abedin, pointed out that open drainage will attract birds to the airport. “Water is like a magnet that attracts birds. So flowing water or stagnant water will attract birds,” said Abedin.
The temporary drain at BPIA was constructed in July after Orissa POST published an article. The report ‘Tardy pace of drain construction at BPIA’ published June 21 highlighted the inordinate delay by public works department (PWD) in constructing a temporary drain to avoid water-logging during the monsoon season.
Interestingly, the construction was initially taken up by water resources department (WRD), which made no significant progress. The government had decided in January to construct a temporary drainage and later go for a permanent solution. But WRD engineer (drainage) B Bastia had informed this newspaper that the department had planned a permanent solution to the airport’s water-logging woes. It was published January 30, headlined ‘Airport drainage plans remain a far cry’.
Unfortunately, the government’s dilly-dallying attitude has become a matter of concern for Airports Authority of India (AAI) engineers. “The airport needs a permanent drainage system and civic authorities must fill the pond inside OUAT near the airport boundary wall,” said Loknath Padhy, joint general manger of AAI (Civil).
BPIA director R Mahalingam said airport officials are coordinating with the concerned agencies on this issue.
But, PWD engineers refused to comment on the proposed permanent drainage. “We will go through it,” said PWD engineer OP Patel.
Jose K Joseph
Post News Network
