NEW DELHI: Alert air traffic controllers at Delhi Airport on Wednesday asked two incoming aircraft to initiate a go-around after pilots of a third aircraft which had landed on the runway the two were supposed to touch down on, had reported “an eagle very close on landing roll.” Both the aircraft safely went around and touched down safely on the second attempt. While IGIA has always seen a worrying amount of bird activity along with several other airports like that in Ahmedabad, the same increases during and after rains as the waterlogged ground means insects on the surface that attract even more birds.On Wednesday at 11.54 am, an Air India Express flight IX 1037 landed on IGIA’s runway 09 which is closest to Dwarka side. “The pilots reported an eagle very close during landing roll. Two other incoming aircraft — Air India’s AI 1892 from Patna and IndiGo’s 6E 2088 from Madurai were to land soon thereafter. To avoid bird hit, the air traffic control immediately asked them to go around. They landed subsequently in the second attempt,” said a senior ATC official. Whenever a pilot reports bird activity on the airfield, the airport takes steps to drive away the birds including bursting crackers.The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had last June summoned airport operators to discuss the continuing menace of wildlife hazards, including bird hits. Dirty surroundings and slaughter houses near airports, among many other factors, attract birds leading to bird hits. Bird hits increase during monsoon as waterlogged ground forces worms to the surface, attracting more birds that usual.The DGCA had about four years back written to airports on the issue. “We are all aware that during monsoon season wild life (birds and animals) activity increases in and around airports. Presence of wildlife in airport vicinity poses a serious threat to aircraft operational safety. All airports are requested to review their wild life hazard management plan for any gap and ensure strict implementation of strategies for wild life hazard management within and also outside the airfield,” DGCA had said in a letter to all airport operators and airport directors in June 2022.Within the airport, the steps to be taken include: “grass trimming and spraying of insecticides; frequent runway inspection for bird activities; deployment of bird chasers and bird scaring devices; Regular garbage disposal in the operational area and avoiding water concentration and open drains.”For tackling the issue outside airport premises, the DGCA had said: “Airport Environment Management Committee (AMC) meetings (should) be convened to discuss and review implementation of measures to reduce bird hazard. Frequent inspection by airport wild life hazard management team/AMC to identify sources of wild life attraction such as garbage dump, open disposal of abattoir/butcheries waste and coordination with local authorities for mitigation of sources of wild life attraction.”Rules specifically prohibit any slaughtering or flaying of animals or dumping garbage in a way which could attract animals and birds within a 10-km radius of airports. “… airfield environment management committees at airports (which are headed by chief secretaries) should take proactive measures on time-bound basis to ensure that no illegal slaughter houses, garbage dumps exist in the vicinity of airports. (these) are source of increased bird activity and may lead to wildlife strikes to aircraft during approach/take off,” the DGCA had told states a few years ago.

NEW DELHI: Govt on Wednesday scotched the suggestion that Pakistan has scored diplomatically by offering to play mediator between Iran and US, with foreign minister S Jaishankar saying the neighbour has been a past master at inserting itself into conflicts, reports Kumar Rakesh.“India cannot be a broker nation,” sources quoted Jaishankar as saying at the all-party meeting govt had convened. The minister also said PM Modi, in his conversation with Donald Trump on Tuesday, had told the US president that the war was hurting everybody and impressed upon the latter the need for swift resolution of the conflict.India follows multi-alignment, has good Iran ties: EAM On Pakistan working its way into the West Asia frame, Jaishankar recalled it was also the intermediary between China and the US in 1971 and again between the US and Iran in 1981. Govt sources said Jaishankar was putting things in perspective by recalling Pakistan’s past interventions.“He wasn’t mocking or criticising what Pak is doing now regarding the conflict,” one of the sources added.India is a big country and pursues multi-alignment to serve its national interests, he said, insisting that it continues to enjoy good equations with Iran.The minister also said that there was not enough clarity about the format and fate of the US-Iran talks with uncertainty over who would be negotiating on Iran’s behalf. He pointed to the sudden emergence of parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as Tehran’s chief negotiator.At the meeting, presided over by defence minister Rajnath Singh, opposition MPs, including Mukul Wasnik of Congress, John Brittas of CPM, Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM, NCP’s Supriya Sule and AAP’s Sanjay Singh flagged a host of issues, including Modi’s visit to Israel just before the war broke, India’s alleged silence over the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and concerns over oil and gas availability.Besides Jaishankar, govt was represented by home minister Amit Shah, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, petroleum minister Hardeep Puri and parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju.Puri assured the participants that India had sufficient stock of petrol and diesel. Besides, it had moved to tie up new sources of supply.TMC was the lone major opposition party which skipped the meeting, calling for a discussion on the issue in Parliament.Rijiju said govt had explained its position clearly to address the concerns of opposition parties.“They also asserted that in such a challenging situation, we all have to stand together. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made an appeal that the Parliament should rise together in any challenging situation. I think the opposition parties have displayed maturity,” the minister said.

Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) newly appointed chairman of selectors Habibul Bashar said on Tuesday that he wants veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan to return to the country and continue playing for at least two more years, with the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind.Shakib, 39, had moved to the United States after the country’s Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina was removed following a student uprising in 2024. The interim government had barred Shakib from representing Bangladesh.With a new government now in place, Bashar indicated that the selectors are open to his return, though not immediately. He said there is not enough time to consider him for the upcoming home white-ball series against New Zealand, which begins on April 17.