After a flock of geese disabled both engines of an US aircraft, causing it to land on the Hudson river last week, our Ministry of Civil Aviation decides to conduct...
After a flock of geese disabled both engines of an US aircraft, causing it to land on the Hudson river last week, our Ministry of Civil Aviation decides to conduct...
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dangerous: Birds fly near a plane that just took off from the Mumbai airport yesterday. PIC/SAYED SAMEER ABEDI |
The recent crash-landing of an American plane on New York's Hudson River after being hit by a flock of geese has got the airport officials in India serious about tackling the issue. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has decided to conduct India's first airport bird audit in Mumbai and four other major airports in the country Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad after a reported increase in bird activity around major airfields.
On January 15, an Airbus A320 had a miraculous escape in New York after both the engines of the aircraft were disabled following a bird strike. Survivors waited patiently on the wings of the plane for several hours on the Hudson River until they were rescued.
Officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), environment and urban management experts will form a committee to jointly conduct the audit. "This audit will help in guiding environment management committees, which are supposed to ensure that airport surroundings are clean and do not to attract birds," Naseem Zaidi, director general, DGCA, told MiD DAY.
Ironically, the last time a scientific study on birds around the airports was done in the late 1990s. However, the situation was different then. At that time there were lots of vultures around the airports because of the tall vegetation. Now, because of the grass, one spots numerous smaller birds.
"No study has been done for the Mumbai Airport in the last decade. The only ones that were done were in collaboration with the Indian Air Force for certain airbases in northern India," said Sujit Narwade, scientist in-charge environment information system, Bombay Natural History Society.
"The audit needs to study bird flying patterns and bring out particular details like their population, flock strength and above all, find a solution to the problem," said Narwade.
Following the civil aviation rules in place, MIAL has deployed safety measures like positioning bird chasers, crackers and other equipment in the runway area. "But with 45 bird-hits between June 2008 and January 20 this year, it is evident that the safety arrangements must improve," said M G Jhungare, aerodrome general manager, Mumbai airport.
Officials of the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) said the civic officials and residents are to be equally blamed for the mess around the airports. "Once the mess around the airports is cleared, only the migratory birds will remain. Bird chasers will be able to solve this problem," said Vikram Yadav, ICPA general secretary.
The audit involvesThe audit will take a re-look at the manner of shooing birds at the airport and suggest any new mechanism required to tackle the mess. For instance, while the Delhi International Airport Ltd has deployed a sonic bird chaser, Mumbai International Airport Ltd has men who burst crackers upon seeing birds. Unlike dogs, none of the birds are caught, but only shooed away.u00a0
Major incidents This year on January 16,u00a0 engines of a Kolkata-Guwahati Jetlite flight caught fire following a bird hit. In July 2008, a bird hit an Air Mauritius aircraft during takeoff following which the pilot applied emergency brakes leading to a fire in the underbelly. Two hundred-and-fifty-two passengers were evacuated unhurt.
Birds commonly involved in hits
Pariah or Black Kite is a medium-sized bird
Red-wattled Lapwing, a small bird usually seen in pairs or small flocks
Cattle Egret, known as a cosmopolitan type of a heron
Apart from these, pigeons and crows also affect flights
