PIL before Delhi High Court seeks closure of meat shops near IGI airport to prevent bird strikes

A public interest litigation (PIL) petition has been filed before the Delhi High Court raising concerns regarding repeated instances of bird-aircraft strikes at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi [Gauri Maulekhi v. Union of India & Ors.]..A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gadela today issued notice to the Central government, Government of NCT of Delhi, Airports Authority of India and various other parties and directed them to file their response to the petition. .The PIL moved by wildlife activist Gauri Maulekhi stated that from 2018-2023, there were a total of 705 bird strikes at the IGI Airport which outnumbers the combined bird strike incidents reported across 29 airports in 6 different States..Maulekhi claimed that the presence of slaughter houses, meat farms, dairy farms and environmental pollution in the vicinity of the airport is the primary cause for such incidents. It was also claimed in the PIL that government authorities have acknowledged that these factors cause Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) related incidents.Moreover, the operation of slaughter houses, meat shops, dairy farms and the disposal of waste around the IGI Airport is violative of various statutes, the PIL stated."The Aircraft Rules of 1937 and the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak of 2024 prohibit slaughter or flay of animal or disposal of any garbage related thereto, which is likely to attract birds/animals, within a radius of 10 kms from the aerodrome reference point. A contravention of the said Rule constitutes a cognizable penal offence," the petitioner submitted.However, despite filing representations on the issue with the concerned authorities, no steps have been taken to address the same.This inaction prompted Maulekhi to move the High Court with the present PIL petition seeking orders from the Court to ensure the implementation of measures to prevent BASH incidents and implement a Bird Avoidance Model at the IGI airport.She has also sought directions to close down all illegal slaughterhouses, meat shops and other prohibited establishments within a 10- kilometer radius of the Airport References Points (ARP) of the IGI Airport. Further, Maulekhi has sought registration of FIRs against those found running such shops and initiation of preventive measures such as patrolling and surveillance of the area..The matter will be heard next on May 14..Maulekhi was represented by Senior Advocate Kirtiman Singh briefed by team of M/s Karanjawala & Co. comprising Senior Partner Meghna Mishra and advocate Yashodhara Gupta.