The rising number of bird strike incidents at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport has raised concern, prompting the Airfield Environment Management Committee (AEMC) to urge local authorities to implement measures to reduce such occurrences, an official reported.
In a meeting held on Saturday (November 9) , chaired by West Bengal’s Home Secretary Nandini Chakravorty, who also leads the AEMC, strategies were discussed to strengthen airspace security and address the growing threat of bird hits.
Local municipalities asked to improve waste management
The meeting was organised by Kolkata Airport Director Dr. Pravat Ranjan Beuria and the impact of waste accumulation around the airport was discussed. There is an increase in the likelihood of bird strikes because of the waste. All the five municipalities that are surrounding the airports have been advised to do a regular clean up of open drains, butcher shops, fish stalls, garbage dumps, and waste food sources that attract birds. As per Beuria, around 18 bird strikes have been reported this year at NSCBI Airport, thus there is an urgent need to take preventive measures.
Clean-up initiatives
The AEMC has further directed municipalities to conduct public awareness campaigns. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has stated that they are committed towards environmental management around the airport premises and highlighted the significance of removal of garbage, cleaning of drains and timely trimming of the trees. The proactive waste management efforts taken up by Madhyamgram Municipality has received praise and other local bodies have been urged to follow the same process.
The laser interference in the vicinity of the airport was also addressed in the meeting along with bird strike prevention. To curb the issue, police action will be taken as pilots has reported these issues as hindrance for safe flight operations. About eight to nine such incidents have come to light in 2023. The airport asserted that they are committed towards ensuring safe skies by solving these challenges.
(With inputs from PTI)