Bengaluru:
There's a new problem dogging the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) that threatens air passengers' safety. Stray dogs on the airport's runway are putting the flights and the passengers at a grave risk, threatening an encore of the mishap on HAL airport runway on March 28, 2008 night when a Kingfisher ATR aircraft taking off for Hyderabad hit a stray dog, causing the aircraft's nose wheel to collapse and get jammed.
The passengers had a miraculous escape though two of them were treated for shock, but the safety of passengers cannot be guaranteed if such an incident occurs again at BIA.
Fed up with the dogged problem, BIAL recently wrote to Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) seeking help to eliminate the problem.
Sources said the problem was discussed on August 9 at a BIA sub-committee meeting, after which the head of BIA's aviation safety wing, Grp Capt (Retd) N Krishnamurthy, sent a letter (dated September 17, 2010) seeking BBMP's animal husbandry division's help.
BBMP joint director (animal husbandry), PA Peeran, confirmed this, but said nothing can be done as the BIA area does not fall under BBMP's jurisdiction.
BIA left to devise own strategies to shackle stray dogs.
"BIA does not come under our jurisdiction, so they have to make arrangements of their own," Peeran told DNA.
Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) authorities are now at loss to find a solution to the problem.
Krishnamurthy, said in his letter to BBMP that in the recent days the stray dog population in and around the airport has increased manifold. "This is not only a nuisance to the airport operations but (it) also poses a hazard to the travelling public. Any dog in the operational area would lead to serious aircraft incidents or accidents. In the past, BBMP staff made efforts to catch dogs in the vicinity of the airport which was quite effective in controlling the dog population. Once again now we need your whole-hearted support in this regard."
But with the BBMP throwing its hands up, BIA may have to devise its own strategies to tackle the stray canines on the runway and prevent them from causing a major air disaster.
The passengers had a miraculous escape though two of them were treated for shock, but the safety of passengers cannot be guaranteed if such an incident occurs again at BIA.
Fed up with the dogged problem, BIAL recently wrote to Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) seeking help to eliminate the problem.
Sources said the problem was discussed on August 9 at a BIA sub-committee meeting, after which the head of BIA's aviation safety wing, Grp Capt (Retd) N Krishnamurthy, sent a letter (dated September 17, 2010) seeking BBMP's animal husbandry division's help.
BBMP joint director (animal husbandry), PA Peeran, confirmed this, but said nothing can be done as the BIA area does not fall under BBMP's jurisdiction.
BIA left to devise own strategies to shackle stray dogs.
"BIA does not come under our jurisdiction, so they have to make arrangements of their own," Peeran told DNA.
Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) authorities are now at loss to find a solution to the problem.
Krishnamurthy, said in his letter to BBMP that in the recent days the stray dog population in and around the airport has increased manifold. "This is not only a nuisance to the airport operations but (it) also poses a hazard to the travelling public. Any dog in the operational area would lead to serious aircraft incidents or accidents. In the past, BBMP staff made efforts to catch dogs in the vicinity of the airport which was quite effective in controlling the dog population. Once again now we need your whole-hearted support in this regard."
But with the BBMP throwing its hands up, BIA may have to devise its own strategies to tackle the stray canines on the runway and prevent them from causing a major air disaster.
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