Blue bulls trouble Indian Air Force at Maharajpur airbase in MP

GWALIOR: Indian Air force (IAF) officials are troubled by an unseemly innocuous enemy at the Maharajpur air base on the outskirts of Gwalior district. Blue bulls or Nilgai as they are commonly called often venture on to the runway a posing threat to the fighter jets during take off and landing- forcing the IAF to issue a caution to its pilots.
It is learnt that IAF base has been plagued by blue bull menace for some years now but the forest department has expressed its helplessness stating that rules allow killing or translocation of the antelopes only in case they damage the crops.
IAF officials had carried out an aerial survey to find out the number of wild animals around the air base that have led to mishaps in the past. The menace has also been highlighted on a portal providing details of Indian airports. It reads - "Blue Bull menace. All opr use caution during take-off and ldg (landing). Increased bird act 30 min before/after SR (sun rise) and 1 hr before/after SS (sunset), no dep permitted during these periods".
"Blue bulls not only venture on the runway posing a danger to movement of aircraft but also vehicular traffic within the campus. Our efforts to contain this menace so far have failed," said an IAF official adding they can't be caught or killed.
A portion of the IAF's airstrip is shared by the airport authority of India (AAI) for parking aircrafts. "Main problem is with the IAF's airstrip. We get rid of the animals with the help of CISF," said A K Tirki, in charge Air Traffic Control (ATC).
The blue bulls, said officials, move across the runway to the adjacent farm land of Central Potato Research Centre (CPRC), located close to the boundary wall of the airstrip. CPRC has the largest farm area of 179.5 ha and is primarily engaged in seed production. This centre has two research programs including, development of low-input technology for potato production and to work on stem necrosis diseases of potato. The bulls jump across the boundary wall to reach the farm.
IAF has reportedly made several communications with the forest department in the last couple of years to get rid of the blue bulls, but to no avail.
Chief conservator of forest S P Rayal said that the IAF will have to take initiatives at their own level. "The best thing they can do is to raise the height of their boundary walls".
Defense PRO, wing commander Basant Kumar said that they were in touch with the forest authorities to chalk out a proper strategy to check the menace. "We are taking all possible measures to ensure operational safety," he said.
Checking the menace
In 2003, the IAF had come up with an unusual idea to check the blue bull menace at their Bakshi-ka-Talab air base on the outskirts of Lucknow using Tiger excreta, obtained from the Lucknow Zoo. They littered it around the runaway, after being informed that smell of tiger droppings will keep blue bulls away, but to no avail. Similarly, in 2006, the Chandigarh Air Force station has constituted a 'blue bull combat team' to ensure that these animals do not pose any threat to aircrafts or act an impediment to flying activity. The 21-member team was kept in position around the airfield for all night operations to prevent the blue bulls from coming in the vicinity of the runway.

MM