Air safety: As bird hits rise, Ashish Shelar chairs high level meeting to find solutions

Mumbai: Mumbai's civic body has been directed to commence work on modernising and covering the Versova waste transfer centre, which falls within the funnel zone of the airport, with the aim of reducing risks to air travel from bird hits that are on the rise, Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar said on Thursday.

The area within a 10 km radius of Mumbai Airport includes dumping grounds, mangroves and forest land, which attract a large number of birds, thereby posing a threat to air travel, a statement from his office said.

"Incidents of bird strikes on aircraft are on the rise. It was 20 in 2020, 35 in 2021, 36 in 2022, 60 in 2023, and 59 in 2024. As of January 2025, 19 bird strikes have already been recorded. There has also been a noticeable rise in the number of migratory birds, such as flamingos, in the Thane creek area, with their population surging from 10,000 in 2015 to 2 lakh in 2024," the statement said.

In 2024, a total of three bird strikes occurred at altitudes of 50 to 200 feet, 16 up to 500 feet, 13 between 500 and 1,000 feet, and 11 above 3,000 feet, it said.

"Mumbai's Deonar and Kanjurmarg dumping grounds, along with Versova waste transfer centre, lie within the airport's critical funnel zone. The presence of food waste in these areas attracts a high concentration of birds, posing a serious threat to aircraft during take off and landing," it pointed out.

Shelar, the state minister for cultural affairs and information technology as well as guardian minister of Mumbai suburban district, also asked scientists, environment experts and young researchers to suggest innovative solutions and technologies to prevent bird activity around garbage collection and dumping areas near airports.

Shelar chaired a meeting on the issue during the day, which was attended by officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Airports Authority of India. Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the metropolis' fire brigade, a statement from his office said. The meeting has been held in the aftermath of the devastating June 12 Ahmedabad plane crash, which killed 270 persons, including 241 of the 242 passengers on board.

The issue was discussed in detail at a recent high-level meeting, where officials deliberated on actionable measures to mitigate the risk, it said, adding that given the grave implications for aviation safety, a thorough review was conducted to assess what steps the BMC can implement.

During the meeting, BMC officials stated they currently do not possess any technology to deter birds but a proposal to use new technologies to manage waste more efficiently, particularly to reduce wastewater, is under active consideration.

Shelar directed officials to come up with a clear problem statement to guide the search for solutions.

He emphasized the need to invite scientists, entrepreneurs, young researchers and startups to contribute innovative ideas, for which a dedicated hackathon can be organised to crowdsource practical and technology-driven solutions to the problem.

"Any new idea received should be tested and evaluated in collaboration with Environment Department, Pollution Control Board and Bombay Natural History Society. A comprehensive report should then be prepared based on these evaluations. To recommend effective remedial measures, an expert committee should be constituted," he said.

Alternatively, the matter may be referred to the State Airport Environment Committee (AEMC) for consultation and guidance on implementing the proposed solutions.

The minister emphasized the urgent need to modernize the 2-acre Versova waste transfer centre, which lies within the airport's funnel zone.

"The modernization plan should include the construction of a shed cover, installation of an odour control system, and deployment of a mobile compaction unit. Tenders be issued within the next 15 days and the work must commence without delay," he said.

The Airport Environment Committee (AEMC), responsible for addressing critical issues such as bird strikes in the airport's funnel zone, last met in April 2024, a point noted by the Airport Authority during the recent review meeting.

In light of this, Shelar stated that a formal request will be made to the environment minister to convene the AEMC meeting at the earliest.

The AEMC comprises Secretary of the Environment Department, the District Magistrate, BMC officials and senior airport authorities.