New steps against waste disposal near Thiruvananthapuram airport

Efforts to bring down bird-hit incidence

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will launch an awareness campaign against dumping of waste around the Thiruvananthapuram international airport.

Eco panel meeting

The decision was taken at the Airfield Environment Managing Committee that met here on Thursday under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary (Transport) V.J. Kurien. The city Corporation and revenue officials will be roped in for awareness programme and waste management.

The committee took stock of the situation arising out of the dumping of waste, opening of illegal slaughterhouses and meat shops, and sale of fish in the open in the vicinity of the airport and the approach path.

Airport Director and convener of the committee V.N. Chandran said the distribution of leaflets to local people and other awareness measures would be intensified. More hoardings would be put up.

A committee with representatives of the AAI, city Corporation, and Collectorate would oversee the work.

Rule 91 of the Indian Aircraft Act 1934 bans slaughtering and sale of meat and fish in the open and similar activities, which are likely to attract vultures or birds, in a 10-km radius of airports.

A slew of measures by the AAI had helped bring down the number of bird hits from six in 2011-12 and four in 2012-13 to two in 2013-14. But, seven suspected bird hits were reported in the last financial year. Unauthorised constructions along the boundary wall of the airport also came up before the committee.

The Airport Director said the no-objection certificate (NOC) of the AAI had been made mandatory for construction of buildings within 20 km of the airport.

The cleaning of the Parvathy Puthanar to make it navigable for boats also figured in the meeting. Representatives of the city Corporation, Indian Air Force, the police, and airlines attended.