THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid the nation’s grief over the Ahmedabad plane crash, another aviation hazard is looming closer to home. Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (TIAL) has reported over 239 bird-hit incidents since 2018, with 28 of them in just six months between October 2023 and March 2024 — the highest in three years.

The root of the crisis? Illegal slaughtering of large animals and unregulated dumping of meat waste near the airport — especially around Ponnara bridge in Vallakkadavu, where scavenger birds like kites and crows are drawn dangerously close to aircraft flight paths. The lack of a regulated slaughterhouse has worsened the issue.

TIAL officials, backed by NGOs like EPRC, have flagged the danger to authorities. “Several near-misses and confirmed bird strikes have been documented. This violates the Aircraft Rules, 1937,” said Sajeev SJ of EPRC.

Vallakkadavu councillor Shajida Nazar admitted that livestock is slaughtered daily in encroached revenue land. “We plan to fence off the land. Residents will not be evicted,” she said. Adani Airport has funded this fencing effort.

Corporation secretary S Jahangir claimed that steps taken since September, including a joint WhatsApp monitoring team and daily surveillance, have helped reduce incidents. A modern abattoir, set for a July launch, is expected to curb illegal slaughtering. Door-to-door waste collection in 12 surrounding wards is now in place, with rapid composting at Kalladimugam.