The Delhi High Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) raising concerns over the increasing number of bird and wildlife encounters with aircraft at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela issued notices to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Delhi government, and other respondents, seeking their replies within six weeks.
The petition highlights that the surge in bird and wildlife strikes poses a serious threat not only to the safety of passengers aboard aircraft but also to residents in nearby areas in the event of an air crash.
According to the plea, 705 bird strike incidents were recorded at IGI Airport between 2018 and 2023, surpassing the total number of bird strikes reported across 29 airports in six states combined during the same period.
The petitioner attributed the growing number of incidents to the presence of slaughterhouses, meat shops, dairy farms, and environmental pollution around the airport premises.
The PIL seeks urgent action from authorities to mitigate Bird Aircraft Strike Hazards (BASH) and calls for the implementation of a Bird Avoidance Model (BAM) at Delhi Airport to prevent future accidents.
Citing the Aircraft Rules, 1937, and the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024, the plea pointed out that activities attracting birds and wildlife — such as animal slaughter and improper garbage disposal — are prohibited within a 10 km radius of aerodromes.
Despite acknowledging the causes behind the rise in BASH incidents, the plea contends that authorities have failed to implement adequate measures.
The petitioner, Gauri Maulekhi, was represented by senior advocate Kirtiman Singh, along with advocates Meghna Mishra and Yashodhara Gupta from M/s Karanjawala & Co. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on May 14.
