Bird hits: High Court tells BMC to ensure no garbage is dumped around airport

“Keeping in mind the safety of lakhs of passengers traveling by air through the Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, we direct the municipal commissioner for taking necessary action,’’ said Justices A S Oka and A S Gadkari.

The HC has asked the commissioner to appoint an additional municipal commissioner to file a compliance report under Rule 91 of the Indian Aircraft Rules, 1937, which prohibits animal slaughter and disposal of rubbish in the airport vicinity without a go-ahead from the DGCA.

“We direct the BMC to place a scheme before the court. Till the formulation of the scheme, BMC should take all possible steps to ensure that no garbage collects in the vicinity of the airport which is prohibited by Rule 91,’’ said the HC. The BMC has been asked to submit their compliance report by January 9, 2015.

During the last hearing, the petitioner had sought time to check the veracity of the claim made by BMC through an affidavit filed, in response to the court’s earlier orders, on removal of garbage from sites surrounding the airport along with preventive measure taken regarding bird hits.

The petitioner, on Tuesday,  submitted photos of his findings which reflected  a sorry state of affairs. “To put it mildly the photos submitted to us shows a sorry state of affairs,” the court observed.

The PIL states that as per provisions of Regulation 31, clause (f) of development Control Regulation for Greater Bombay, 1991, licenses cannot be issued to carry out or run abattoirs and dumping grounds in and around 10 kms of the Airport.

As per an earlier order, the municipal commissioner had accepted responsibility of the corporation to ensure necessary steps are taken including removing filth from the immediate vicinity of the Airport for the purpose of preventing bird hits.

ruhi.bhasin@expressindia.com