CHITRAL, March 3: The raising of artificial ponds and lakes in the river bed adjacent to Chitral airport by hunters to lure migratory ducks has been posing a serious threat to the safety of PIA flights.

Talking to Dawn here on Sunday, High Rights Programme, Chitral, chairman Niaz A Niazi advocate said that the bird hunters raised artificial lakes and ponds in the vast bed of Chitral River near the airport during the hunting season to lure and hunt migratory birds.

He said that the hunting season starts from December and lasts for three months.

The river flows along two sides of the airport and the birds flying across could prove dangerous for the flights.

He said that in case of other airports in the country, the birds entering the specific area of the airport were warded off by shooters employed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), but in Chitral the birds were lured to descend to the dangerous zone of the airport.

Mr Niazi said that planes usually flew at very low altitude over the lakes while landing and a flock of ducks descending on the lakes at the same time could jeopardise the flight safety. He said that the lakes were at a stone’s throw from the airport runway, but the authorities were yet to realise the situation.

Besides, the airport is located at a place where migratory birds from the two valleys of Koh and Lotkoh meet for their onward journey towards plains of the country in the course of their migration from Siberia. The people of Chitral are known for their penchant for hunting and they spend heavily on duck hunting, for which they raise lakes along the river sides and keep hounds.

Mr Niazi said that the authorities must take notice of the situation before any mishap took place. Last year, the owner of the river bed Fatehul Mulk Ali Nasir had imposed ban on raising lakes, but he later lifted it on the hunters’ request.