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Cuttack, April 10: A public interest litigation (PIL), filed in the Orissa High Court Friday, urged the court to declare the airspace above Srimandir as no-fly zone for at least during the upcoming Rath Yatra.
Petitioner Nishikant Mishra said two lakh devotees’ flock to Puri every day and about 10-15 lakh at Rath Yatra time every year. However, the number could swell up to 50 lakh during Rath Yatra this time for Nabakalebar.
In view of the safety and security of millions of people, no flights should be allowed to fly over the temple, the rights activist from Pipli said.
Mishra contended the airspace above major shrines and monuments such as Tirupati Balaji temple, Taj Mahal and Peace Tower in Mumbai have been declared ‘no-fly zones’. Besides, Shivaji Park in Mumbai and Rajpath in Delhi were considered ‘no flying zones’ for a few hours during the visit of US President Barrack Obama,.
“If such measures could be taken on the grounds of safety and security then why Srimandir should be an exception, especially when a huge crowd is expected to gather here during the festival,” the petitioner argued.
Notably, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had earlier rejected the State Government’s plea to make the Srimandir area no fly zone.