Rajkot Airport deploys guards on approach road to tackle stray cattle menace

Rajkot: The menace of stray cattle has not only claimed lives across the state but is now also disrupting the commute toward Hirasar Airport here. In a recent incidents, stray cattle have invaded the approach road to the International Airport, prompting airport authorities to hire guards to mitigate the issue.

The road leading to the airport, situated 30 km away from the city, is a well-built route where cars can travel at speeds of up to 120 km/h. However, the smooth flow is disrupted when cows are found sitting in the middle of the road, causing significant problems. A similar situation occurs on the 4.5 km road from Rajkot Ahmedabad Highway to the airport terminal, with several cows roaming and impeding traffic. To address this, the airport authorities have employed seven guards to work on a 24/7 basis to chase away these cattle.

These guards are in constant contact with airport personnel and have been provided with bikes. Three individuals work the shift from 5 AM to 1 PM, another three from 1 PM to 9 PM, and one person is assigned the night duty. The entire approach road, covering a distance of 4.5 km from the highway to the terminal, has seen the deployment of one person per 1.5 km for the past 45 days.

Diganta Borah, the airport director, mentioned that there were previously complaints from passengers about encountering stray cattle. However, with the deployment of these seven guards, the situation has significantly improved, successfully keeping the stray cattle at bay.

Just couple month ago, stray cows were seen roaming near the drop-off point and in gardens at the airport. DeshGujarat