Navi Mumbai: In the backdrop of the recent Air India crash in Ahmedabad due to an alleged bird strike, Navi Mumbai-based activist B N Kumar has once again urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to take the issue of illegal animal slaughter near the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) seriously.
Kumar warned that the slaughter and open sale of meat attract large birds such as kites, which could pose a significant threat to aircraft safety at the upcoming airport.
Kumar, who heads the environmental group NatConnect Foundation, has been repeatedly raising alarms over the presence of slaughterhouses and open meat markets in Ulwe — barely three kilometers from NMIA’s runway. Despite DGCA’s earlier advisory to the aerodrome operator to curb such activities, the illegal slaughter continues unchecked.
The issue gains urgency as NMIA is expected to begin operations soon, with airlines like IndiGo and Akasa already signing agreements with the airport operator.
While DGCA director Amit Gupta had informed Kumar over a month ago that action would be taken against bird-attracting activities, no enforcement has taken place so far. “It is deeply concerning that the advisory has not translated into ground action,” Kumar said.
In a related development, the Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) of the Airports Authority of India recently issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) listing 225 obstacles to NMIA’s operational readiness, including buildings, hilltops, transmission towers, and floodlight poles. However, it failed to mention the ongoing illegal slaughter within the 3 km radius of the airport — an omission that Kumar flagged with AIS officials.
The General Manager of AIS responded that the matter has been referred to the “concerned authorities at NMIAL.” But activists remain skeptical, citing the lack of visible action on the issue.
The Maharashtra government had earlier formed an Aerodrome Environment Monitoring Committee (AEMC) under the chairmanship of CIDCO and explicitly prohibited any slaughter activity within a 10 km radius of the airport. Ironically, CIDCO, which administers Ulwe, has not acted against the violators.
“We have also brought this lapse to the notice of CIDCO’s Chief Vigilance Officer,” Kumar said, calling the inaction a grave risk to public safety.
Echoing these concerns, local citizens and political leaders have pointed out that illegal mutton businesses have only grown in recent months. “It is as if the operators are retaliating against the complaints,” said Santosh Kate, NCP-Ajit Pawar group leader, who added that the trade is not only dangerous but also unhygienic. “Still, many unsuspecting buyers fall for the cheap prices,” he noted.
With NMIA nearing completion, citizens and safety advocates are calling for immediate, decisive action to eliminate bird-attracting hazards from the airport vicinity.
