Vasco: When a plane approaches the runway either to land or take-off at Dabolim airport, the last thing pilots would want to see are stray dogs strolling across the runway.
Planes have been forced to abort landing and take-off on at least three occasions in the last four years and despite assurances by politicians and officials, stray dogs have continued to jeopardise flights and have also made their presence felt outside the terminal at Dabolim airport.
Stray dogs have also become a frequent sight outside Dabolim airport as passengers enter and exit the airport terminals.
Dabolim Airport security beach
But what is more concerning is the fact that stray dogs have penetrated the otherwise highly guarded defence airport, which is also used for commercial flight operations, and have even moved on the runway.
The issue has been discussed in many airport advisory meetings in the recent past.
Panchayats Minister Mauvin Godinho had said that in order to get rid of the growing stray dog menace at Dabolim Airport, he would set up a mechanism and set up a special cell to tackle stray dogs outside the airport area.
“Being a big international airport, stray dogs are found along the highway and near the arrival/departure areas, which sends a bad image about Goa. We will soon set up a mechanism and a special cell to eradicate the stray dog menace,” Godinho had said in the past.
'The agency has already begun work'
Following the first incident of a stray dog on the runway on August 13, 2019, Panchayats Minister Mauvin Godinho convened a meeting with airport committee on August 20, 2019 and said an NGO was already appointed to take care of stray dog menace at Dabolim Airport.
"The animal husbandry department has already entrusted this job to an NGO to tackle stray dogs in and around the airport so that dogs are not found on the runway. The agency has also been allotted Rs 7 lakh and we will be allotting more funds. The agency has already begun work,” Godinho had said.
“We have asked the airport and Navy to secure its fencing for any gaps, so that dogs cannot enter inside and this has already been done. The NGO will catch stray dogs in and around the airport and relocate them to a different place or a shelter elsewhere. The stray dog menace and flights aborting take-off or landing because of dogs will soon be a thing of the past.”
After the second incident on September 1, 2019, then Union Minister of State for Defence, Shripad Naik said he would hold discussions with naval authorities and Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials about the dog menace at Dabolim Airport.
"There have been two instances of planes aborting their landing and departure after dogs have been found on the runway. This is not correct and such incidents should not happen. These incidents can pose a huge risk to several lives. Though the Airport may belong to the Navy, it is managed by AAI and they must make necessary arrangements to tackle the dog menace,” Naik had said at the time.
“I will discuss necessary precautionary measures in regards to the stray dog menace at Dabolim Airport."
Stray dogs on runway
AUG 13, 2019
An Air India flight from Mumbai aborted its landing at Dabolim Airport at the last minute on August 13, 2019, after the pilots spotted dogs on the runway at 3 am.
The pilots immediately alerted the ATC about a pack of stray dogs on the runway and the aircraft later landed during the second approach after a go-around.
Then leader of opposition and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat was the first to flag the issue and shared a tweet quoting the experience of a passenger on board the flight. Kamat had demanded a probe by the civil aviation ministry into the serious lapse.
SEPT 1, 2019
An Air Asia flight bound for Delhi was forced to abort its take off after stray dog entered the runway on September 1, 2019.
In a tweet, the Indian Navy had stated that the AirAsia flight 778 was rolling for take-off at Goa airport at about 8.25 am, when the alert Air Traffic Control spotted a dog entering runway and immediately informed pilot who aborted the take off. The flight departed at 9.15 am after additional technical checks.
In another tweet, the Navy stated: “INS Hansa has proactively taken steps to relocate dogs from vicinity of runway. Under MoU of Indian Navy with Department of Animal Husbandry, nearly 60 dogs have been relocated since mid-August.”
NOV 13, 2023
A Vistara flight was forced to return to Bengaluru after a stray dog was spotted on the runway on November 13. The flight had left from Bangalore at 12.55 pm and returned to Bangalore again at 3.05 pm, only to leave Bangalore airport again the same day at 4.55 pm and land back at Goa airport at around 6.15 pm.
According to media reports, Dabolim Airport Director Dhanamjaya Rao had maintained that the pilot was asked to hold on for sometime but he preferred to return to Bengaluru.
Rao had also admitted that once in a while there may be instances of stray dogs entering the runway, the area was immediately cleared by the ground staff and that this was the first such incident in his tenure of over 18 months.
