Mumbai: A green activist has raised a red flag against the inaction on slaughterhouses near the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) after a bird hit forced a civil aircraft in Ranchi to make an emergency landing. The environmentalist has alleged that the authorities have not acted even after the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed the airport operator to take action in the matter.

On May 3, The Free Press Journal had reported that DGCA had directed NMIA’s operator to take action against all activities that attract bird activity near the airport, including illegal animal slaughtering, in response to a complaint filed by B.N. Kumar, the director of NatConnect Foundation, in February.

He had flagged the illegal slaughter of goats and chickens at Ulwe, just three kilometers from the runway, as a major violation of DGCA norms, which prohibit animal slaughter within a 10km radius of any airport to prevent bird strikes.

In the wake of a recent vulture strike on an Indigo’s Kolkata-bound flight near Ranchi at an altitude of about 4,000 feet, Kumar has again expressed concerns over inaction against the illegal slaughterhouses near NMIA, despite an advisory from the DGCA. In a fresh letter to DGCA on Tuesday, he alleged that there has been no action against the illegal slaughter of animals and the open sale of meat.

Kumar also demanded to change the composition of the state-appointed aerodrome environment management committee (AEMC), headed by City Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO). He demanded that it should be chaired by an environment expert or a retired judge to ensure accountability and transparency.

“CIDCO is the airport project proponent and it is not expected to act against itself. We have requested DGCA to take the issue seriously and instruct the airport operator to take necessary steps to stop this slaughter. CIDCO has still not acted on this important scope of work, which shows the seriousness with which it functions despite having a full-fledged controller of unauthorised constructions and a vigilance officer,” said Kumar.

Echoing similar concern, local citizen Karan Chawla and a local political leader Santosh Kate said the clandestine meat business has increased of late, as if with vengeance after the complaints. “It is highly unhygienic as well, but the gullible non-vegetarian lovers fall for the cheap mutton or chicken,” Kate said.