Bird-hit incidents increase in last two-and-a-half years at Surat airport

Times of India: Surat: Sunday, August 19, 2018.

Accident is waiting to happen at Surat airport with the safety of passengers and aircrafts running at risk following the increase in bird hit incidents in the recent past.

According to information sought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has stated that a total of 22 bird hit incidents have been reported in last two-and-a-half-year. There were 14 bird hit incidents in 2017 alone. In the last six months, four incidents of bird hit have already been reported.

The presence of shrimp farms in Dumas and Magdalla and surrounding areas in Olpaad have been blamed for the bird hit cases.

“We send quarterly and yearly report on bird hit to the AAI headquarters on regular basis. The activity of birds is seen near the airport due to the presence of large number of shrimp farms, which increases the chances of accident,” says airport director Sanjay Kumar Panigrahi.

It may be recalled that on November 6, 2014, SpiceJet Flight SG-622 (Boeing 737-800 aircraft) hit a buffalo during the take-off run. Timely action by the aircraft pilot averted a mishap and it was brought back to the apron for checks. Another aircraft was called from Mumbai and passengers were sent to Delhi.

RTI activist Rajesh Modi had earlier demanded to ban shrimp ponds around Surat airport along the lines of South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s (SDMC) proposal that says no slaughtering of animals and birds by meat shops will be allowed within the 10 km radius of the Indira Gandhi International airport.

According to an estimate, more than 1,000 shrimp ponds fall under the landing and take off route of the aircrafts at Surat airport. For gulls and other seafood hunting birds, shrimp ponds are a major attraction.

The AAI has also hired an agency for bird scaring at the airport. However, due to limited reach of the agency, the incidents of bird hit continue to take place.

“We have given the contract to bird catchers, but they can operate only within the airport premises. Most of the bird hit incidents are reported in the air when aircrafts either take off or land on the runway,” Panigrahi said.

Shrimp farming in the Diamond City has annual turnover of over Rs 150 crore. In 2011-12, about 3,800 metric tonnes of king prawns valued at Rs 121 crore were exported from Surat. Out of over 4,000 shrimp ponds in and around the city, about 50 per cent are operated illegally by shrimp farmers.

A senior officer in district administration said, “The shrimp farmers in coastal areas around airport have knocked the Gujarat High Court doors when the administration started action to vacate the government land. In the case related to shrimp farmers from Bhimpore near the Surat airport, we have asked the AAI to become a party. Until now, none of the shrimp farms have been vacated.”