Bhubaneswar, Sept. 14: There is no respite from the growing bird-hit menace at the airport here.

Worried over the development despite taking several measures, the Biju Patnaik International Airport authorities are planning to relocate the avian species that flock in the airport.

The airport director, Sharad Kumar, had already written a letter to the principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) and chief wildlife warden, seeking permission for capturing the birds and relocating them.

"We have asked the PCCF to allow us to capture the birds using methods that would not harm them and we will hand over the birds to the forest department," said Kumar.

He said the airport authorities had taken several steps to reduce bird-hit incidents inside the airport. However, most of these methods have not scared birds away.

Though the birds react to the methods initially and fly away from the airport, later they come back and get accustomed to the methods adopted by the authorities.

The negative impact of birds hitting aircraft was discussed in the Airport Environment Management Committee (AEMC), which was held last month under the chairmanship of chief secretary G.C. Pati.

The airport authorities surveyed the core area where the bird menace is a cause of concern and a team of ornithologists identified around 100 species of birds in and around the airport.

In the past several years, incidents of bird-hits had gone up considerably, posing danger pose danger to life and property.

Following the AEMC meeting, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has started removing meat and fish shops from near the airport.

Chief conservator S.S. Srivastava said he had forwarded the letter the director of the Nandankanan Zoological Park. "The zoo authorities would decide what can be done," Srivastava said.