CHENNAI: The Chennai airport, along with an NGO, has introduced a humane canine management programme to control stray dogs on the airport premises.
For the past few months, the number of stray dogs has increased at the airport, impacting safety of the passengers. Many have filed complaints with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) about the stray dog menace.
The AAI, with the help of a local body, caught around 40 dogs that were roaming around the premises. They were sterilised but the dogs couldn’t be controlled from roaming around, and every day complaints were increasing.
So, the AAI and an NGO in Tambaram have introduced a humane canine management programme that prioritises passenger safety and animal welfare. It encompasses animal birth control, vaccination and care for stray dogs by specially trained handlers. On a shift basis, a team will work in the airport premises 24/7.
Additionally, the AAI also inducted 30 hand-held thunder booms, a bird-scaring equipment, to reduce the risk of bird-hits on aircrafts at the airport. Usually, crackers were used to scare the birds but this device would be more effective, said sources.