The petition, filed by animal rights activist Gauri Maulekhi, highlights the risks posed by bird and wildlife encounters with aircraft at IGI Airport. The plea states that such incidents not only threaten the safety of passengers onboard but also put local residents at risk in case of an aircraft crash.
New Delhi, March 19: The Delhi High Court has asked for a response from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and other authorities regarding a plea seeking the closure of slaughterhouses near Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.
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The petition argues that these establishments pose a serious risk of bird strikes, which endanger the safety of passengers and aircraft.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela has issued notices to several authorities, including the Centre through the DGCA, the Airport Authority of India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the Delhi government, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and the Delhi Police.
The court has asked these agencies to clarify their stance on the measures taken to address the concerns raised in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
“Having regard to the concerns raised in the petition, let notices be issued to the respondents,” the bench stated, setting the next hearing for May 14.
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The court has directed the concerned authorities to submit detailed affidavits within six weeks. These affidavits should include “para-wise replies to the averments made in the PIL“ and also provide “details of the steps taken” to address the issues highlighted in the petition.
The petition, filed by animal rights activist Gauri Maulekhi, highlights the risks posed by bird and wildlife encounters with aircraft at IGI Airport. The plea states that such incidents not only threaten the safety of passengers onboard but also put local residents at risk in case of an aircraft crash.
Maulekhi has urged authorities to take immediate and effective action to reduce the risk of “bird aircraft strike hazard” (BASH) and to implement a “bird avoidance model” (BAM) at IGI Airport. The absence of such measures, according to the petitioner, has contributed to serious aviation accidents in the past.
The petition identifies several reasons for the high number of bird strikes near IGI Airport, including the presence of slaughterhouses, meat shops, dairy farms, and environmental pollution in the surrounding areas.
“The operation of slaughter houses/meat shops/dairy farms and disposal of the remnants around the IGI Airport is contrary to various statutes,” the petition claims.
According to the PIL, the Aircraft Rules and the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024, strictly prohibit the slaughtering or flaying of animals, as well as the disposal of animal waste or garbage that might attract birds or animals, within a 10-kilometer radius of the aerodrome reference point (ARP).
The petition emphasizes that “a contravention of the said rule constitutes a cognisable penal offence.” It further states that despite authorities acknowledging that these factors have led to increased BASH incidents, “no effective measures or steps have been taken by the respondents to curb the said menace.”
The petitioner has therefore requested the immediate closure of all illegal slaughterhouses, meat shop clusters, and other unauthorized establishments operating within the restricted 10-kilometer radius of the IGI Airport.
The PIL presents data to support its claims, noting that between 2018 and 2023, a total of 705 bird strike incidents were reported at IGI Airport. This number, according to the plea, surpasses the combined total of bird strike incidents reported across 29 airports in six different states.
Despite several representations made to the authorities requesting action against these unauthorized establishments and for the proper implementation of BAM, the petition states that these appeals have largely been ignored.
