T’puram: Acting on the intervention of State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), the city corporation has deployed a 24-hour airport squad to ensure that no waste is dumped within a 4km-radius of Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.The corporation secretary informed SHRC that round-the-clock surveillance has been put in place following directions issued by panel chairperson Justice Alexander Thomas.SHRC ordered stringent preventive measures while considering a complaint based on media reports about a bird-hit incident involving an Oman Air aircraft near the airport on April 15 last year. The incident had resulted in damage to one of the aircraft’s engines, highlighting concerns over bird activity linked to improperly managed waste in the airport vicinity.According to the corporation’s report, Haritha Karma Sena has been entrusted with collecting and scientifically processing non-biodegradable waste from households in the area. Kitchen bins have also been distributed to homes to facilitate source-level segregation and management of biodegradable waste.To strengthen organic waste treatment, five aerobic bins have been installed at Vallakkadavu Sulaiman Street and the NS depot.When the case came up for hearing, the municipal health inspector appeared before SHRC and apprised of the measures taken. Justice Thomas directed civic authorities to ensure that non-biodegradable waste is not dumped under any circumstances in areas surrounding the airport so as to prevent similar incidents in the future.The action was initiated on a complaint filed by human rights activist Ragam Rahim.
