Crackdown begins on rooftop pigeon keeping near airport

In a bid to minimise the risk of bird strikes near Lahore Airport, the Punjab government has launched a large-scale operation to enforce a newly designated 8-kilometre-wide "No-Bird Zone" around the facility.

The initiative, directed by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, involves coordinated efforts from the Punjab Wildlife Rangers, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Municipal Corporation, and Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC).

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Additional Director General of Punjab Wildlife Rangers, Syed Kamran Bukhari, confirmed that the zone has been declared off-limits for bird breeding and feeding.

The move aims to reduce the presence of high-risk birds, especially scavengers like kites, which frequently pose dangers to aircraft. Wildlife Rangers have identified and mapped key nesting areas and are currently removing two to three nests daily. Rescue 1122 teams are aiding the effort by dismantling nests built on mobile towers and utility poles within the zone.

Alongside nest removal, teams from the Municipal Corporation and LWMC are targeting environmental conditions that attract birds.

A crackdown is underway against illegal meat vendors operating along Canal Road, Saggian Bridge, and Ravi Bridge — areas considered high-risk due to the abundance of bird-attracting waste. Several vendors have already been evicted from these locations.

The EPA has also initiated action against residents who keep wild pigeons on their rooftops within the restricted zone.