From: mohanlal panda <pandaml67@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Jul 2, 2011 at 1:03 PM
Subject: Security of Nagpur Airport, a matter of concern
To: akpnhrc@yahoo.com
Cc: jrlawnhrc@hub.nic.in
To
The Chairperson
NHRC
New Delhi.
Sir,
Greetings from PVCHR.
Please refer to the news in the link and the attached report: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/-17-mishaps-averted-in-5-years-at-Nagpur-airport/articleshow/9070219.cms
17 mishaps averted in 5 years at Nagpur airport
Sachin DravekarSachin Dravekar | Jul 2, 2011
NAGPUR: The concern over bird hits and wild animals straying onto the runway at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport are not exaggerated. Records show that pilots have had to delay take offs or abort landings 31 times in last five years (since 2007) after seeing animals on the runway. In 17 of these cases, of which three occurred in the last two months, major disasters were averted even though animals like deer, wild boar and pigs actually hit the aircraft.
This belies the effectiveness of the 12 hi-tech scare guns, known as zon guns, eight installed by airport officials and four by Air Force officials, in scaring away animals and birds from the runway and operational area.
Pilots also reported 28 bird hits in the last three years, seven of them in the last six months, a senior Mihan India Limited (MIL) official said requesting anonymity.
Expert said the birds are usually attracted by the insects in the dense foliage growing near the runway after the rains. Dumping of garbage in and around the airport premises and delay in transporting the refuse offloaded from aircraft also attract birds.
The city airport is also affected by the dumping of garbage by dhaba owners and hoteliers on Khapri road. Offal dumped by illegal slaughterhouses at Khamla and Sonegaon compounds the problem, as it attracts both birds and animals, the official added.
What's surprising is that the animal menace is continuing despite the then airport operator Airports Authority of India (AAI) having trapped 183 pigs, 215 stray dogs, 118 monkeys and eight other wild animals, including five four-horned antelopes and three barking deer in 2008-09. The contractors were paid almost Rs 5 lakh (Rs 1,000 per pig, Rs 400 per dog etc). The entire animal trapping operation by AAI now appears to have been a farce, the official said.
Even MIL chief operating officer Abadesh Prasad expressed surprise at the incidents involving animals and birds at the airport despite all breaches and gaps being closed. The compound wall has been repaired regularly and grills were put up at all exit points for drains too.
A section of the media had recently reported that a big hole was found in one of the airport walls, which allowed easy passage to stray animals. Lack of proper fencing and barbed wire made the matters worse, it was reported.
However, Abadesh Prasad denied there was any big hole on Shivangaon side from where stray animals enter the operational area. "We have already put up fencing near the boundary wall," he said.
Now, MIL is planning to isolate the 3200-meter main runway and taxiway from the rest of the area by putting up a 5-feet high fence of iron wires welded to poles, to prevent any animals straying on to the runway, he added.
Sir, on behalf of PVCHR, I request you to look into the matter and take necessary action.
With regards,
Dr. Mohanlal Panda
Advisor, PVCHR
B-202, Neelachal Appt, Plot-3, Sector-4
Dwarka, New Delhi-110075
Mobile: :+91-9818499296
Main Office: SA 4/2 A, Daulatpur, Varanasi-221002
Mobile:+91-9935599333
No comments:
Post a Comment