Army officials have blamed the slums, Hanuman temple and the butcheries outside the cantonment for the menace of the rise in number of monkeys, birds and dogs on the airport runway. The officials' reaction came following a government notice to the army regarding the same.
The notice had directed the cantonment in Sahibaugh area of the city to carry out efficient garbage collection, close down the abattoirs and trim the trees adjacent to the airport wall. The notice had stated that these things were responsible for the increase in the numbers of monkeys, birds and dogs on the runway at Ahmedabad airport.
An army official, on condition of anonymity, said the resolution of the problem lies with the Gujarat government and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation(AMC).
"We have issued several notices to authorities of the Hanuman temple. The temple is the reason why the numbers of monkeys have increased in the area as the devotees feed the animals," the official said.
"We have requested the AMC to capture and relocate all monkeys in the cantonment," the official said. A legal notice should be issued to the authorities of the temple to curb this problem.
The army officials have been continuously writing to the AMC to capture the stray dogs living on the outskirts of cantonment.
"The government should direct the AMC officials to immediately act on the several requests made by the army," the official said.
The officials also blamed the slums and unorganised colonies mushrooming outside the airport for the bird menace. "Dead animals, meat-shops, fish markets, roof-top accumulated garbage and inefficient waste disposal in civil areas should be the prime concern of the government of Gujarat," the official mentioned.
The official had also requested that government undertake a ground visit and accordingly the army will co-operate with it.
