A Gandhi-founded animal rights organisation has petitioned the Bombay High Court seeking urgent enforcement of aviation safety rules by shutting down slaughterhouses and meat markets operating within a 10-km radius of Mumbai’s airports. The plea argues that such establishments increase the risk of bird strikes, jeopardising both aircraft operations and passenger safety.
In a writ petition filed against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other authorities, the NGO has requested the formation of an oversight committee to track violations and ensure compliance with established safety regulations under The Aircraft Act, 1934 and Aircraft Rules, 1937. These regulations prohibit activities that attract birds—including slaughterhouses and meat markets—near airport zones. The petition underscores a rising conflict between civic licensing practices and aviation safety norms. According to the petitioner, authorities have been issuing commercial permits for meat processing and sale even in zones deemed critical under national civil aviation safety protocols. The group cited a particularly concerning instance from June 2024, when the municipal corporation allegedly issued hundreds of temporary permits for goat slaughtering on the eve of Bakrid, including locations within prohibited proximity to the airport.
A specific case from Jogeshwari East, where a licensed meat shop was found illegally functioning as a slaughterhouse just 6 kilometres from Terminal 1 and 7.5 kilometres from Terminal 2 of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, has also been cited as a major breach. Law enforcement, prompted by animal rights complaints, conducted a raid and recovered 16 goats from the facility. A formal First Information Report (FIR) was subsequently filed, accusing the operators of violating key sections of aviation and environmental law. The petitioner organisation, which has operated since the pre-independence era advocating for sustainable and ethical animal practices, emphasised that their aim is not to shut down all meat establishments. Rather, they insist on the strict implementation of civil aviation safety norms, which were framed in the public interest to mitigate the threat of bird strikes caused by improper waste disposal and open slaughter.
“The concern here is human life and aviation safety, not dietary choices. Authorities must align with the Director General of Civil Aviation’s rules and BMC’s own development control regulations. It is irresponsible to permit commercial activity that puts lives at risk,” said an official spokesperson for the NGO. The issue of bird strikes around airports is not new. Aviation safety experts have consistently flagged the proliferation of waste-generating establishments in airport vicinity zones as hazardous. Bird hits, which can disable engines or windshields during take-off and landing, have been linked to several aviation incidents globally. In densely populated urban areas like Mumbai, where the city’s expansion has brought residential and commercial development dangerously close to aviation infrastructure, enforcing these exclusion zones becomes even more critical.
While the authorities claim that enforcement is underway, the petitioners argue that systemic failures in monitoring and licensing continue to pose a danger. They allege that the civic body’s actions reflect a pattern of regulatory apathy, where economic or religious considerations are allowed to override binding legal obligations. Legal experts observing the case point out that the Aircraft Act and Rules explicitly prohibit any activity within 10 km of an aerodrome that may interfere with aircraft operations. These include meat shops, waste disposal facilities, slaughterhouses, and open markets dealing in fish or poultry. The BMC, despite being fully aware of these laws, has continued to grant licences, which the petitioners argue, amounts to a breach of public trust.
In their submission, the petitioners have urged the Bombay High Court to direct the BMC to immediately shut down all non-compliant meat shops, fish vendors, poultry sellers, and slaughterhouses located within the designated 10-km exclusion zone. The court has also been asked to bar the civic authority from issuing any further temporary or permanent licences for such establishments within that radius, until a comprehensive compliance framework is put in place. Experts argue that this situation also raises important questions about sustainable city planning. Mumbai, as one of India’s most densely populated and economically active urban hubs, needs a long-term strategy to manage ecological hazards like bird strikes through careful zoning and policy enforcement. Waste disposal practices, particularly around airport areas, must also be overhauled to align with international standards of urban environmental management.
The outcome of this legal challenge could serve as a precedent for other Indian metros facing similar issues. If the Bombay High Court rules in favour of enforcing the DGCA regulations in letter and spirit, it could pave the way for stricter monitoring and a more proactive stance on airport zone safety across India. As the city continues to expand, balancing civic services, commercial activities, and public safety will remain an ongoing challenge. While the matter currently rests with the judiciary, the petition signals a broader demand for transparency, accountability, and enforcement of long-standing regulations that are critical not just for aviation safety, but for building resilient and sustainable cities.
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