Birds , dogs take a hit at HAL airport, activists see red
Animal lovers in Bengaluru are upset with HAL authorities who are shooting at kites and dogs to keep them away from the airfield. Two kites were found injured on Wednesday near the HAL airport with pellet holes on their necks and abdomens. Animal volunteers who followed the case found that a few men in a jeep were shooting at kites. Despite being closed for commercial flights, the HAL airfield caters to VIP flyers and emergency operations. Every month there are at least 10 take-offs and landings here. And since the runway is left unattended most of the time, the number of dogs and kites has increased. While stray dogs can create problems for flights during landing, kites are dangerous as they often get sucked inside airplane engines.
HAL authorities admitted that birds and dogs were scared away using air guns, but refused to comment on killing them. Volunteers, however, say that local residents have alleged that several dogs have been killed and buried near the airport. “The birds are scared off by air guns and shotguns that make loud noises. It is a normal practice across airports,” a HAL official said.
Environmentalists, however, feel that HAL is fighting the symptom and not the disease. “The kites are protected under wildlife laws and one cannot go on shooting sprees blaming them as an aviation hazard. One must realise why the kites and dogs are around the runway which is closed for commercial operations. You cannot shoot everything that comes close to airfield. HAL must join hands with the civic agencies so that the filth around the airport is cleared leaving nothing for dogs or kites to scavenge on,” said an environmentalist from city.
The other two airfields in Bengaluru, Yelahanka Air Force Station and BIA Airport do not have to deal with kite problems as much as HAL. In 2005, A MiG-21 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force crashed shortly after take-off, killing test pilot Sq. Leader K.R. Murthy while his co-pilot ejected to safety. A bird hit was the cause for the accident. “There are many meat stalls and chicken centres around HAL airport where waste is not managed properly. There is also a drain flowing next to the airport making it a usual place for kites and dogs,” stress a civic expert.
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