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Time of India

Feeding stray dogs near airport may increase risk of animals entering runway: Officials

1 2 3 Bhubaneswar: Feeding stray dogs outside the city airport poses a danger as the canines sometimes stray into operational areas in search of food, prompting authorities to engage field personnel to drive them away, officials said. If the dogs enter the runway during aircraft landing and takeoff, it may pose serious safety risks, they said. "We have been witnessing that passengers and their relatives feed dogs close to the airport's parking facilities, passage to exit, taxi stand and cityside beautification areas. Dogs know those who offer food. If they are hungry, they keep coming to the same place if they feel they are getting food easily. It is not that dogs shouldn't be given food, but it shouldn't be close to the airport," said a senior airport officer. Airport sources said it is unlikely that a stray dog will enter the airport's operational area through departure and arrival gates. "There are instances of canines making their way into operational areas (runway and apron) through other gates. Once they sneak in, no one knows how they will behave inside the sprawling area. They keep field duty staff on tenterhooks," the officer added. In Nov 2012, a wild cat was found trapped in a cage. In Sep 2013, a wild jackal was found in the operational areas. In June and July 2014, two jackals were found. However, since then, there has been no incident of wild animals being sighted in the airport's operational area. Airport authorities conduct regular cleaning drives to cut and prune bushy patches to prevent wild animals from hiding there. However, dogs keep straying, and they are driven away. Jivan Ballav Das, secretary of People For Animals, an NGO working for the welfare of stray dogs, said people can't be asked to stop feeding dogs, but it can be regulated by not allowing them to do so close to the airport. "A designated dog feeding place should be earmarked at a considerable distance so that they don't come towards the airport side," he told TOI. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .