Efforts to make Bhubaneswar airport a bird-free zone

Bhubaneswar: With the Centre assuring Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to upgrade the city airport into an international airport, the Odisha government today issued direction to the civic and airport authorities to ensure that there was no bird menace in the aerodrome area.

"It has been decided to make airport buildings pigeon free. The slaughter houses around the aerodrome will be shifted to new safe locations," a senior official said after attending a meeting chaired by chief secretary B K Patnaik.

Patnaik has directed the commissioner of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation to intensify daily cleaning of fish and meat markets around the Airport area. The BMC was also asked to put in place a dedicated mechanism for ensuring proper cleaning and dumping of garbage at a safe distance from airport.

The slaughter houses, meat and fish retailers will be sensitised about the problem and will be asked not to throw the bio-remnants in the drain or open places which attract the birds to that area, he said.

The meeting also decided to cut branch of certain big tress which house birds nests. "It has also been decided that airport authorities will take immediate steps to block all holes in the boundary wall of airport through which the jackals and dogs often come on to the run-way," the official said.

BMC in coordination with Airport authorities will take up awareness campaign among the slum dwellers in Plaspali and Kargil road area regarding potential hazard of garbage thrown in open around the air port.