The risk of bird menace at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here has been brought down because of the continuous risk management efforts taken jointly by the State Government and the Airport Authority of India (AAI).
The issue was discussed at a Airport Environment Management Committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary (CS) AP Padhi at the State Secretariat here on Saturday.
Padhi directed BMC, OSFDC, OUAT, police and airport authorities to keep up the risk management efforts to make the airport environmentally safe and seamless.
The issues relating to checking of birds, filling of the ponds adjoining the airport boundary wall, revamping of the drainage system connecting the airfield, pruning of the trees surrounding the airport, increasing public health and hygiene habits in the nearby slum area, regulating processions, checking of the entry of jackals into the airport, ban on firing of crackers, laser beams and lantern kits in and around the airfield area, removal of fish and meat shops around the airport boundary were reviewed in the meeting.
Definite action points were decided and the CS directed the concerned agencies to complete the works within the time line specified.
Available data show, the number of bird hits in last five years has been arrested to a large extent.
The airline operators present in the meeting also expressed satisfaction over the measures taken so far. The number of bird hits in the airport vicinity was around 19 in the 2011 which has been brought down to 11 in 2016.
Meanwhile, two modern equipments have been put in the airport for flittering away the birds from the air field.