The areas under the ban include all areas under the Airport, Narayanpur and Baguiati police stations as well as parts of the police station limits of Eco Park, Bidhannagar South, Bidhannagar East, New Town and Rajarhat.
In an order issued on April 30 by Commissioner of Police Gaurav Sharma, the Bidhannagar police commissionerate banned such laser lights. The ban covers all areas under the Airport, Narayanpur, and Baguiati police stations, and also parts of Eco Park, Bidhannagar South, Bidhannagar East, New Town and Rajarhat police station areas.
“… do hereby prohibit the use of Sky Pointing Laser Beams in the Free Flight Zone at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, and surrounding areas in the interest of the safety and security of flights in the said area. That there will be no use of Sky Pointing Laser Beams within the Free Flight Zone of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata…” read the order, a copy of which is with The Indian Express.
“… it appears from the report of the Dy Commissioner of Police, Airport Division … as well as information received from the Airport Director…. that due to the situation prevailing in the areas under the control of Commissioner of Police, Bidhannagar, it is noticed that Sky Pointing Laser Light Beams …..which are just in the approach of runways and in the direction of the landing aircraft in the Free Flight Zone around Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, thereby endangering the safety and security of flights in the said area…” the order further read.
The order stated that laser lights shows at restaurants, marriage halls and banquet halls around the Kolkata airport too contribute to the problem.
“… it has been found that several Banquets, Hotels and Restaurants, Clubs, Housing Societies etc. have come up in and around the jurisdiction of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata wherein a lot of lights including Laser Beams are used on celebration of Marriages, Parties and different events held therein, which is a source of nuisance in general and cause of vision distraction to the Pilots in particular…” the order stated.
“…it is necessary to take immediate measures in this regard to prevent danger to human life & safety of Aircraft and to contain nuisance in the matter of Laser Beams in and around the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata. It is also necessary that some check should be put on the usage of Laser Light Beams illumination and establishing a Laser Light Beam-free Flight Zone around Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, so that usage of Laser Beams should not affect Aircraft landing, take off and Aircraft flying operations and that immediate action is necessary for the prevention of the same…’ the order added.
The order effective from May 1 will remain in force for the next 60 days. The police have also decided to start public awareness campaigns regarding the order.
There have been many recent incidents where pilots were momentarily blinded by such laser beans. On March 16, a pilot of an Indigo flight coming from Patna faced the problem.
On February 25, in a similar incident, a pilot of an Indigo flight from Bangalore was momentarily blinded by a laser beam while approaching the airport.
The airport authorities had taken up the matter with the police.