Can’t control bird hit menace,shift airport: HC

Division bench of Justice J N Patel and Justice S C Dharmadhikari pulled up the corporation for sleeping over this “serious matter” which has been going on for years. “You are aware of all illegal slaughter houses which have been operating for years,” justice Patel said,asking the corporation what steps they are going to take. If you don’t do anything then “Bombay does not require a corporation,” the judge added.

Talking about the slaughter houses and the garbage that it generates,the court said that it was a menace to airport security. The court also pointed out the event in which a bird hit might cause a plane crash. “Who all will die if the place crashes in the vicinity,” the court asked.

“Best solution would be to shift the airport,” Justice Patel said.

Arguing for the petitioner,advocate Kunal Cheema,said that cleanliness has to be maintained around the airport.

The petition states that as per regulation 31 of the Development Control rules “the location of the slaughter house/abattoir/butcher houses or other areas for activities like depositing of garbage which may encourage the collection of flying birds,like eagles and hawks,shall not be permitted within 10 km from the aerodrome reference point.”

“Has your municipal commissioner never gone to the airport?” justice Patel asked. The court said that let the municipal commissioner and chief secretary go to the airport and see for themselves.

“Otherwise they will never realize it,” the court said.

The bench has directed Municipal Commissioner Swadheen Kshatriya,principal secretary of civil aviation and state chief secretary to file an affidavit in this regard by June 30.

The petition also states that as per media reports,the airlines industry has lost around Rs 7 crore because of “bird hits” in the year 2009. The petition also says that till October 2009,there were 241 bird hit cases.

Petitioner has urged the court to direct removal of all open garbage dumping areas/bins,including the Deonar dumping ground.