RAWALPINDI, Nov 2: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) authorities on Wednesday asked the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) to ensure cleanliness around Chaklala Airbase and Benazir Bhutto International Airport during Eidul Azha.

A delegation of PAF officers called on District Coordination Officer (DCO) Saqib Zafar to discuss several issues including security measures around the airbase.

The PAF officials asked the DCO to ensure cleanliness around the airbase as animal wastes attract birds which create problems in the safe aircraft landing and taking off.

The CDGR officials told Dawn that the DCO briefed them about the plan to maintain cleanliness during Eidul Azha and assured that special arrangements would be made for cleanliness around the runway.

They said that the PAF officials also discussed the issues of under construction flyover at Chandni Chowk, height of residential and commercial buildings around the airbase and mobile towers. They said that the CDGR and PAF authorities agreed to launch awareness campaign so that people might not dump animal wastes around the airbase.

When contacted, DCO Saqib Zafar said that he held meeting with PAF Base Commander and it was agreed during the meeting that the CDGR would deploy special teams at Rawal Road, Khanna Road, Airport Road and adjoining areas so that nobody would throw animal wastes around the runway and airbase.

He said that the CDGR had already imposed ban on vendors to sell animals on the roads and areas around the sensitive installations. He said it would also impose ban on setting up meat shops in the area around runway.

He said that the CDGR in collaboration with PAF would launch a campaign to aware the people that dumping of animal wastes near the runway was a major threat to the airplanes.

He said that before the Eid, the CDGR would drop pamphlets from helicopter in areas around Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Rawal Road, Khanna Road, Sadiqabad, Jahaz Ground and Airport Road in this regard.

He said that the pamphlets would highlight the problem of open dumping of animal wastes along runway and appeal to the people to avoid the practice for the safety of the aircraft.