Garbage pile along boundary wall of Mumbai airport finally cleared

A nine-foot high pile of garbage along the boundary walls of Mumbai airport, which posed a security hazard, was cleared by the municipal corporation and airport operator.

Hindustan Times had earlier reported about the garbage building up along the airport wall in Jari Mari. Citizen groups had written to the airport operator that intruders could scale the wall by climbing the heap of garbage.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said that 150 truckloads of garbage were excavated from the site JCB over the last two weeks.

Citizen group Watchdog Foundation had written to municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta, informing him the garbage had nearly topped the 10-foot wall. The letter demanded immediate removal of the garbage as it was a danger to the airport’s security.  Apart from the possibility of intruders climbing the garbage pile to enter the airport, it also attracts stray animals and birds. On October 24, a Goa- Mumbai flight suffered a dog hit while taking off for Mumbai.

Godfrey Pimenta, trustee of Watchdog Foundation, said, “Over a period of time, the authorities have acted and now it is difficult to reach the wall.”

While BMC’s L municipal ward officer, Ambi Ajitkumar, was not available for a comment, airport officials said that the work was mutually completed by the two authorities.