New Delhi

Probe ordered into illegal slaughtering near airport

NEW DELHI: A day after a bird-hit set off a fire in an Air Mauritius aircraft with 241 passengers on board at Indira Gandhi International Airport here, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Friday ordered an inquiry into the matter following reports of illegal slaughtering around the airport.

MCD Standing Committee chairman Vijender Gupta acknowledged that such reports had been received earlier as well and that there were some areas where illegal slaughtering was going on. These include Chhawla village near Najafgarh besides the stretches between Delhi Cantonment and Lajwanti Chowk and Delhi Cantonment and Jail Road.

“We have not received any official complaint from the Airports Authority of India, but we have ordered an enquiry as a precautionary measure as we felt the issue needed to be addressed. We have also written to the AAI requesting information about any illegal slaughtering activity going on in the vicinity of the airport,” Mr. Gupta added.

The MCD also plans to pay more attention to garbage disposal and sanitation near the airport. “We will ensure that garbage dumping sites around the airport are cleaned regularly and no garbage accumulates there,” he said.

For its part, Delhi International Airport (Private) Limited claimed that it had taken a slew of measures to inhibit bird activity on the runways.

“Birds often get attracted by insects in the vegetation in the airfield. We carry out regular cutting and trimming of the grass. We have also been using eco-friendly weedicides and biocides to remove unwanted vegetation and kill insects. We also try and prevent accumulation of standing water,” said a DIAL official.

“We manage rodent control on the air side. Bird chasers have been deployed to disperse low flying birds or those perched in the operational area. We are also in touch with experts for relocation of some of these birds and animals,” the official added.

Meanwhile, passengers of the Air Mauritius flight -- MK 745 – that aborted take-off on Thursday after a suspected bird-hit and resultant fire were stranded at the airport till Friday evening because of a technical glitch in the replacement aircraft.

After Thursday’s incident led to cancellation of the flight, an aircraft was flown in to fly the passengers to Mauritius. The replacement aircraft was scheduled to depart at 6 a.m. on Friday but was unable to take off due to a technical problem.

“It is unfortunate that the aircraft we flew in to Delhi to ensure the passengers reach Mauritius at the earliest had a technical glitch. Air Mauritius sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to passengers by the additional delay,” said Air Mauritius CEO Manoj R. K. Ujoodha.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu