In a bizarre incidence, not unfamiliar to Chennai dwellers, pigeons have been swarming the Chennai Airport.
Flocks and flocks of them are swooping around inside the airport, on the runway, and even walking around on the ground. The unwarranted visits have become such a nuisance that the Airport Authority of India has finally engaged ‘Narikuravas’, a nomadic, gypsy community that are known for shooing away birds, the PTI reported.
The police said that the nomadic community is well versed in using traditional and peaceful tactics to ‘shoo away’ the birds.
“There are a few of them quietly working inside the terminals for about a week now. They attract the pigeons with some grains and once they come down, the birds are trapped in a net,” an official told The Hindu.
Passengers have frequently complained about bird droppings and stench in the new terminals, ever since they renovated the Chennai Airport three years ago.
“This may continue for a while as we want to solve the problem as soon as possible,” the official added.
Angry commuters take vented out their ire on social media
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has identified prevention of wildlife strikes with air-crafts as a part of the State Safety Programme, emphasizing that protecting them is the most important priority.
(Inputs from PTI)
(Feature Image Source: Twitter/Asianet Newsable and TEW.org)