The dog menace is so severe that their removal and proper relocation has become a matter of prime importance, keeping in mind the safety of passengers and airport security
The stray dog menace is keeping Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) officials on their toes, posing a significant threat to the airport's day-to-day operations. Intelligence agencies have issued an alert about the possible use of canines to carry dangerous materials inside the airport, including chemical bombs, sources said.
Officials said, a few months ago, some taxi drivers beat a dog to death at T3 after it bit one of them. Many passengers and staffers working or arriving at the terminals have also been bitten by dogs. The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) says it cannot relocate these canines as they are bound by the rules of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI). At the same time, the AWBI maintains that the removal of dogs is not a permanent solution to the problem.
According to sources, in a letter written to the SDMC in August 2016, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said: "The IGIA has been named as the best airport in its class and category. Keeping in view its status, it becomes mandatory for the airport to provide world-class services to its passengers. The dog menace is so severe that their removal and proper relocation from the territory has become of prime importance, keeping in mind the safety of passengers and security of the airport."
"We have also received intelligence inputs and information from various internal security organisations about the possibility of sabotage plans using dogs. These canines can be used by anti-national organisations to pose a terror threat," DIAL added.
SDMC, which has already carried out quite a few sterilisation drives at the airport to curb the menace, said a permanent solution to the problem cannot be reached unless the existing AWBI rules are amended.
An official from the Department of Veterinary Services, SDMC, said nearly 85 per cent dogs at the airport are sterilised. "To reduce the population of dogs in a particular area, we need to ensure that 70 per cent of the dogs are sterilised. We have done our job. What the DIAL wants is the permanent removal of these canines from the airport territory. This is not allowed under AWBI rules," the official said.
He added that as the issue is related to national security, the corporation has also approached the Supreme Court and filed an affidavit to seek advice on the matter.
"The issue of dogs or birds at the airport is a serious matter. But we need to understand that all the dogs from Palam and Dwarka cannot be removed. Dogs live in an area where it is easy for them to get food. Airport operators need to ensure removal of eateries and meat shops from the airport's vicinity. Also, once the dogs are taken out from near the terminal areas, the operators must block all entry points," an AWBI member said.
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