Air Force authorities express concerns over presence of birds near Air Force Station
The Indian Air Force authorities, in a meeting with the district officials and the Commissioner Ambala Division, have raised concerns about the safety and security of aircraft from birds in the area.
Bird activity over the airfield is related to the presence of garbage in the area around, and height of tall trees near the Air Force station in Ambala.
At a meeting of the Airspace Committee held in the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Ambala, Air Force Station official Jyotsana Chikara raised the concerns and informed the committee members about the illegal dumping of garbage by various agencies near the solid waste management plant located in Panjokhra Sahib village, the Irrigation Department's drains not being cleaned near Dhulkot village and garbage being dumped in the drain and about problems related to pruning of tall trees near the Air Force Station.
She said that due to the dumping of garbage, the birds kept flying in the area and it was threat to the aircraft as there was a possibility of collision with the engine of airplanes during takeoff and landing, which was not good from the security point of view.
Divisional Commissioner Anshaj Singh, who was presiding over the meeting, reviewed all these issues and directed the district officials to ensure that the issues raised by the air force authorities were resolved on priority.
The Divisional Commissioner inquired about the dumping of garbage by various agencies near the Solid Waste Management Plant and directed the District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO), officials of the Municipal Corporation, Ambala, and other departments concerned to ensure that no garbage was dumped illegally.
Anshaj Singh also directed the officials of the Irrigation Department to ensure that the drains near Dhulkot were cleaned properly, ensure that the silt was removed from there and the Municipal Corporation should also ensure that no shopkeeper or other persons dumped garbage in the drains there.
The Divisional Commissioner further directed the officials to ensure that cleaning of the drains should be done in the presence of Air Force officers and the work should be done as per their satisfaction.
About the pruning of the tall trees near the Air Force Station, since the area fell under the Cantonment Board, Ambala (CBA), the district officials were asked to coordinate with the Cantonment Board officials for the pruning of trees. They were told to ensure that the pruning of the tall trees in the Air Force Station area was done through the Cantonment Board in coordination with the Air Force officers. He also said if any area came under the Municipal Council, Ambala Sadar, then the council should get that work done. The Divisional Commissioner directed the officials to work with better coordination and resolve the issues on priority in view of the safety of the aircraft.
Deputy Commissioner Ajay Singh Tomer, Ambala City SDM Darshan Kumar, Ambala Cantonment SDM Vinesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner Ambala Municipal Corporation Puneet Kumar, District Forest Officer Rajesh Kumar, DDPO Dinesh Sharma, and officials from other departments concerned were present at the meeting.
