June 6, 2009

The Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport has, ironically, become a bird-watcher’s paradise. With 67 bird-hit cases reported last year, more than double than 30 in 2007, it has prompted the government to revive the National Birds Control Committee after a gap of nearly two decades.

As estimates peg the number of passengers passing through the country’s busiest airport at 37 million next year, the menace caused by the winged creatures have made senior officers sit up and take notice. Headed by Civil Aviation Secretary Madhavan M Nambiar, the National Birds Control Committee held its first meeting on Wednesday with all stakeholders — including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, officials from various airlines, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Airports Authority of India, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), and other airport operators.

“Bird strike is a major concern, as it impacts aircraft and passenger safety, and leads to aborted take-offs and emergency landings, among others,” S N A Zaidi, the Director General of Civil Aviation, told Newsline. “Cases of bird-hits have increased substantially with an increase in air traffic.”

Zaidi said garbage disposal around the airport is one important reason that attracts birds. “It has been decided (in the meeting) that garbage dumps, drains, slaughterhouses and so forth should not be permitted within a 10-km distance around the airport,” Zaidi said. “The issue is being taken up with the state government.”

According to officials, another reason cited for frequent bird-hits at IGI is the large number of houses overlooking the runways, along with garbage dumps and drains in the vicinity that attract birds. Airport officials said the problem worsens in the absence of an outlet to discharge accumulated water that attract birds, and it only worsens during monsoons.

The Civil Aviation ministry, sources said, has now written to chief secretaries of all states to adopt responsive strategies to deal with birds around airports.

“The first multi-stakeholder meeting of the National Birds Control Committee reviewed various issues that attract birds and cause air strikes,” Civil Aviation Secretary Madhavan M Nambiar said. The committee, he added, would prepare a roadmap to prevent such accidents.

IGI Airport ranks among sensitive airports afflicted by a growing “bird strike rate”, and officials said it was decided at the meeting to develop a regulatory framework to deal with this menace. The aerodromes monitoring committee would provide technical intervention for this, it was informed.

DGCA Zaidi said, “We have identified various bird hazards and preventive measures. The airport operator has been advised to take up special measures before the monsoons, as accumulated water attracts birds.”

DIAL A BIRD-CATCHER
At Wednesday’s meeting of the National Birds Control Committee, DIAL outlined various initiatives to minimise bird-hit menace at IGI:
* Separate cell under guidance of an ornithologist to minimise bird activity at airport
* Number of bird chasers increased from 25 to 50 per shift each day on the shoulders of the three runways
* Bird controllers, inspectors and sharpshooters patrol to reduce bird/animal activity on airside. They carry signal pistols and firecrackers of varying decibels to scare away birds from flight path
* Variety of equipment procured — including zon guns, visual scarecrows such as reflective silver flutter tapes installed on runway shoulders
* Vegetation on airside kept below six inches, as per ICAO standards
* Periodic de-silting and cleaning of drains, filling up of low-lying areas to prevent waterlogging, which attracts birds and animals