Ahmedabad ranks third in bird strikes, 319 incidents recorded in five years; animal rights group flags alarming spike post-deadly crash
According to data sourced from a parliamentary response in December 2023, Ahmedabad recorded 319 bird and wildlife strikes between January 2018 and October 2023, trailing only behind Delhi (710) and Mumbai (352). The findings were released by the People For Animals Public Policy Foundation (PFA PPF), the legal and policy arm of the organisation led by BJP MP Maneka Gandhi.
While authorities have not confirmed bird strike as the cause of last week's crash, and some experts have ruled it out, PFA PPF says the tragedy should serve as a wake-up call.
The group revealed that bird strike incidents at the airport surged by 107% in 2023 alone, signalling a sharp deterioration in aviation safety.
"We can't keep calling these tragedies 'unforeseen' when the warnings have been clear for years," said Gauri Maulekhi, Trustee and Member Secretary of the foundation. "Ahmedabad Airport alone had 319 documented incidents, every single one was a red flag."
The foundation has now made a formal representation to the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), urging immediate enforcement of Rule 91 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Your Finger Shape Says a Lot About Your Personality, Read Now
Tips and Tricks
Undo
The rule prohibits the slaughtering of animals, flaying, and dumping of garbage within a 10-kilometre radius of airports, practices known to attract birds and increase collision risks.
Despite the ministry of civil aviation acknowledging as early as 2007 that removing meat shops and open garbage dumps near airports could significantly reduce bird strikes, such establishments continue to operate around major airports, including Ahmedabad.
'We already have the laws and the data. What we're missing is accountability and enforcement,' said Mihir Dawar, a policy expert at PFA PPF. 'If we're serious about preventing more tragedies like this, we need to act now.'
Nationally, bird and wildlife strikes have surged from 167 in 2006 to 1,125 in 2022, far exceeding the safety thresholds set by the ministry.
With the Ahmedabad crash still under investigation, PFA PPF says it's time to stop treating these incidents as isolated, and start treating them as systemic failures.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
9 minutes ago
- Time of India
Bombay HC Ordered Stray Dog Shelters Years, 3 Yrs Before SC's Directive
1 2 Nagpur: Nearly three years before Supreme Court's directive to Delhi's civic authorities on Monday to move stray dogs to shelters, the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court had issued a similar directive — and went a step ahead by introducing a ₹200 fine for feeding dogs in public spaces. The high court in October 2022 restricted public feeding, barring at an individual's own property, an authorised shelter, or another approved site. "If any person is interested in feeding stray dogs, they should first adopt them, bring them home, register them with municipal authorities, or put them in a shelter home. No citizen, no resident, and no areas shall make any attempt to feed the stray dogs in public places, gardens," the bench stated. While the apex court later stayed the penalty and mandatory adoption to feed strays, the order to build large shelter homes remains unimplemented. The court clarified that the directive to adopt stray dogs for feeding was impractical and potentially harmful, as stray dogs could become more aggressive if not fed. Even this stay was later vacated after SC disposed of the case. In October 2022, Justice Sunil Shukre, along with Justice Anil Pansare, directed the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to identify suitable land for housing strays, stressing the facilities should be "well equipped with sufficient manpower and all facilities required for their upkeep and maintenance." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Vietnam Solar Panels: See How Much It Will Cost To Install Them (See Prices) Solar Panel | Search Ads Learn More Undo "After all, one cannot forget that a dog is man's best friend. Therefore, we must take it as a duty to take care of them, whether they are reared as pets or allowed to grow up in the streets," the bench observed. Despite repeated reminders, NMC has yet to finalise sites. In August 2024, the civic body told the court it had shortlisted four locations — at Dudrabhari (Rithi) and Tishti, about 46km and 60km off city, and two at Tondkhairi, 23km away. The bench has now sought a detailed development plan for these plots. The 2022 order also invoked Section 44 of Maharashtra Police Act, 1951, empowering city police to detain stray dogs "by whatever means" and, in certain cases, cull them. The judges directed police to act promptly on complaints of stray dog attacks and hand detained animals to the monitoring committee set up under Rule 4 of Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001. It also instructed the NMC commissioner to sensitise officers on their duties under Rules 7, 8, and 10 of 2001 regulations, which cover controlling nuisance and ensuring humane treatment of strays, and ordered all respondents to submit compliance reports. The first case was filed by social activist Vijay Talewar through senior counsel Firdos Mirza in the HC's Nagpur bench in 2006, which was later converted into a PIL. However, NMC continues to falter in taking effective measures, allowing the stray dog population to grow to nearly one lakh within the city, the petitioner claimed. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
9 minutes ago
- Time of India
Rain stalls work, Dec new deadline for clearing legacy waste from Sec 23 dumping ground
Panchkula : In what will prolong the inconvenience for residents, the Panchkula municipal corporation is going to miss its Aug 31 deadline for clearing the legacy waste from the dumping ground in Sector 23. Dec is the new deadline for the bioremediation of the entire waste. A fresh tender to clear 1.70 lakh tonnes of waste was allotted to an agency. Work started this April with Rs 11.50 crore. However, officials told TOI that 1.25 lakh metric tonnes of garbage is yet to be lifted. The project entailed clearing the site of waste accumulated over the past 15 years. "The pace of work slowed down due to the rains. Little progress could be made. Wet garbage does not get bioremediated and gets stuck in the machine, so it will not get completed by Aug 31. We will clear it by Dec," said an MC official. It must be recalled that the city scored 99% in the category of remediation of dumpsites during the recent Swachh Survekshan. The official credited it to the removal of garbage from a dumping ground in Jhuriwala, followed by a huge pile of dump from Sector 23. The state govt had given its go-ahead for the removal of the remaining 1.70 LMT of garbage from Sector 23, which is the final phase of the work. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Your Finger Shape Says a Lot About Your Personality, Read Now Tips and Tricks Undo Under the previous tender, 3.72 LMT of waste was cleared in three years by the contractor. The second phase work was also assigned to the existing contractor. The issue of the dumping ground has remained a significant political flashpoint, particularly during the last Lok Sabha and assembly elections. Frustrated with alleged govt apathy and years of neglect, residents launched major protests, demanding a permanent solution. The area surrounding the dumping ground in Sector 23 reeks of an unbearable, foul stench, making it very difficult for residents to keep their doors and windows open to let the air in. The area is frequented by stray cattle, dogs, and other animals and insects. It presents a poor picture of the city, which got its worst-ever national ranking of 219 in the Swachh Survekshan in the segment of cities with a 50,000 to 3 lakh population. It is the city's worst national ranking in the eight-year history of the survey. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Teachers demanding salary hike impart lessons on protest site
1 2 G uwahati: An unusual scenario unfolded in the city as about 50 children, all between 6 and 14 years of age, were seen attending lessons in the middle of a protest grounds in Chachal. For the last 20 days, teachers under the banner of Jyoti Kendra Siksha Karmi Sanstha (Assam) have been on a hunger strike, pressing for their rights. Coming from various districts of Assam, they say they are part of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan — India's flagship programme aimed at achieving universal elementary education. Since 2003, these teachers have been working with children from marginalised backgrounds, including school dropouts and those who are survivors of sexual violence or child labour victims. "We have been protesting since the end of July. We work under the scheme with a salary of just Rs 6,500. We have been teaching these children for many years, yet despite multiple meetings with the education department, our concerns remain unresolved. We want financial security for teachers above 60 years and consolidated salary that would allow us to support our families," Munmun Chetia, the president of the organisation, said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo According to the teachers, these students had been on vacation, but when classes resumed in Aug, they returned to find the centres and schools empty, as the teachers were away protesting. In search of their teachers, the students eventually made their way to the protest site. "These students, all from Guwahati, have shown the determination to carry on with their education, regardless of the circumstances. Even when we requested them not to visit the protest site, they refused to stay away, insisting that they did not want to fall behind in their studies," Chetia added. Their guardians, equally committed to their children's learning, urged us to hold regular classes despite the ongoing agitation. Many of them personally assured us that the children would be present every day from 7.30 am, ready with their books and notebooks." She also said that these students have said that they would come regularly to attend classes, just like the normal school routine. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
