NMC clears illegal mutton shops near airport, cuts bird-hit threat

Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) took a concrete step towards aviation safety by completely removing illegal open mutton market operating along Orange City Street and Jaitala Road in Khamla — an area located close to the city airport. The civic body not only evicted the encroachers but also barricaded the stretch with tin sheets to prevent their return.For years, the illegal open meat market raised flight safety concerns due to its proximity to the airport. The rampant dumping of waste animal parts in the open attracted birds and increased the risk of aircraft suffering bird hits. The birds flocking to the meat market were often seen flying across the flight path."Birds flying around the illegal market for scavenging posed a threat during landing and take-off of the aircraft. We had written multiple letters to NMC regarding it," said a Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) official. In September last year, a Nagpur-Kolkata IndiGo flight carrying 166 passengers was forced to make an emergency landing following a suspected bird hit.The situation on the ground prior to Monday's crackdown was alarming. Meat shops lined up the roadside, with waste animal parts casually discarded behind them, creating feeding grounds for birds. Confirming the action, NMC's Laxmi Nagar zone assistant commissioner Dhananjay Jadhav said the operation was carried out in phases. "We made a list of 22 shops, of which 18 were earlier removed. On Monday, we removed the remaining shops and even seized their material. We have also barricaded the place so that illegal shops aren't set up again," said Jadhav. He added that the civic body is working on identifying alternative locations to shift the affected meat vendors.Despite multiple crackdowns in the past, vendors returned to the road after a few days. Last year alone, NMC had removed the illegal shops at least 20 times. Three more anti-encroachment drives were conducted in April this year. The latest operation, backed by stricter enforcement and barricading, is expected to bring a permanent solution to the problem.Locals, who repeatedly raised objections over both hygiene and safety concerns, welcomed the move. With the removal of the illegal open mutton market, authorities believe the risk of aircraft suffering bird-hit will reduce significantly.