Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Feb 3: The airports authority of India (AAI) which has registered nine bird-hit cases last year has roped in a team of experts to curtail such incidents at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA).
The team led by an Ornithologist was assigned to survey the airport operational area and surroundings to study the bird-hit pattern.
However, a joint team of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and AAI was constituted by the government June 20, 2014 to review sanitation and disposal of solid waste at regular intervals but it has not been taking up daily and weekly reviews as per schedule. Earlier, it was decided that the civic body would ensure sanitation in the peripheral area of BPIA and remove meat shops attracting birds. A BMC sanitary inspector was supposed to take stock of sanitation standards around the airport on a daily basis but the plan soon fizzled out. As per plan, the airport regulatory body will spend `60 lakh in two years to bring down bird-hit cases that pose fatal threat to civil aviation. The AAI, however, claimed that no bird-hit case has been registered since October 2014.
AAI has also hired some equipment like zone gun, laser gun, six shot launcher and reflective tapes to reduce presence of various bird species such as kites, lapwing birds, Maina and Egrets. The zone gun is an electronic noise-making device to scare birds away.
An AAI official said a majority of birds come from Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology side to airport operational area. Interestingly, the last survey to curtail bird-hit was conducted two years back in collaboration with BMC and forest department. “We have intensified our surveillance to scare away birds flying near airport operation area. Chemical spray is being done scientifically to bring out positive results while several new equipment have been produced by AAI,” airport director Sharad Kumar said.
BMC deputy secretary Subranshu Mishra said BMC is ensuring sanitation while eviction teams are also moving in the airport area to weed out encroachers.
The city airport is surrounded by 1,138 trees, alongside Pokhariput, Gandamunda, Delta Square and Palaspalli, whose pruning is yet to be done by the Forest Development Corporation. Meanwhile, AAI is contemplating to write to BMC commissioner Krishan Kumar to extend its support to the former.
