Keep plots clean near airport to deter dogs and birds: PMC
The decision was made after Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) commissioner Naval Kishore Ram and his team conducted an extensive survey of such properties in Lohegaon, Wagholi and Kharadi on Saturday.
Ram told TOI, "If we don't keep properties in the airport's vicinity clean, air operations won't be smooth. I noticed large birds flying over many spots filled with rubbish. We have instructed the owners to ensure their properties are clean. We will fine them if they do not comply. We will seize the properties under the Municipal Act if they still fail to act."
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The Indian Air Force (IAF) manages the Pune Air Force station (AFS) and officials have raised several civic concerns regarding the area surrounding Lohegaon airport because of recent incidents of bird strikes and stray dogs on the runways.
In response, PMC has made changes in its waste collection process. Now, garbage is lifted in three shifts and a dog-catching team does the rounds twice a week.
"Despite our efforts, plots in Wagholi and Kharadi remain filled with trash and attract large birds which then fly in the airport's flight zone. It poses a significant risk to air operations and we must act quickly. I have directed our civic officials to work diligently and improve the situation on ground over the coming months," he added.
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Lohegaon, Wagholi and Kharadi have hundreds of empty plots owned by developers and real estate agents. Residents living nearby dump garbage at these sites daily. It hinders the civic teams' attempts to lift trash, according to officials.
"Our teams will also visit private shops and warn them not to throw waste in open areas. We will conduct awareness campaigns. Cleanliness has improved in Lohegaon relatively speaking, but it is still to be the best," said PMC chief.
Civic officials are working in tandem with the IAF in Lohegaon and surrounding areas to maintain required cleanliness standards in the airport's vicinity. "However, it will take a few months to see the results . We have also decided to increase our manpower in Wagholi and Kharadi to push the
cleanliness drive
and streamline garbage collection," the commissioner said.
A senior IAF officer, who has served at the AFS Lohegaon, told TOI on the condition of anonymity, "Our primary concern is to make areas in the vicinity of the station free of garbage.
We have deployed a team to keep away birds from inside the airport. However, it is not possible to manage the situation outside. It is very risky for pilots if there are flocks of birds in the flying zone. Birds react to aircrafts as just another bird and often do not change their flying trajectory.
We have experienced such incidents at the Pune station."
PMC officials also visited the Hadapsar trenching ground in the industrial zone, where the Pune Cantonment Board dumps garbage. "We will develop a dedicated biomining plant to process the waste at the site. This particular zone also attracts large birds, which can interfere with the flying zone," said a senior PMC official.
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