THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Close on the heels of the recent airplane crash at Karipur, the state capital has finally initiated action to address the growing incidents of bird hits being reported at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport. The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has sealed nine poultry shops at Bangladesh Colony in Mutthathara near the airport premises. As per statistics, around 28 bird hits were reported at the airport last year alone.
Illegal dumping of poultry waste and garbage near the airport has been cited as the prime reason for bird menace and increasing bird population. The meat traders in the locality whose shops were shut down have strongly protested and demanded rehabilitation from the local body. On Wednesday, the civic body convened a meeting with the evicted traders for negotiation.
Anaz Shafi, a meat trader whose shop was sealed by the civic body, said that he couldn’t take up the matter legally because of the pandemic. “I have been running this shop for the past 15 years. This is our livelihood and it has been three days since the civic body sealed our shops. We want the authorities to grant permission to reopen the shops until we’re rehabilitated,” said Anaz. He said that meat traders pay an amount of D7/kg to dispose of poultry waste. “Around 30 meat traders and 40 families depend on these shops for survival,” he added.
Illegal shops, poramboke land
A senior official with the Health Wing of the city corporation said that they have sought the intervention of the police to ensure that the shops are not reopened. “All the shops in this area are illegally constructed and do not have a trade licence. We served them notices before sealing their shops,” he said.
“Poultry waste was being dumped for a long time. But, in the wake of the recent plane crash at Karipur, we have decided to evict the meat traders. Also, the area is poramboke land. Revenue authorities will be taking over the land and handing it over to the Airports Authority of India for further development of the airport. A meeting chaired by the mayor will be held within two days,” the official said.The civic body is planning to relocate the shops to Vallakadavu Market. “The issue will be resolved soon,” the official said.
IN a NUTSHELL
Illegal dumping of poultry waste and garbage near the airport has been cited as the prime reason for bird menace and increasing bird population. Meat traders whose shops were shut have demanded rehabilitation