Bhubaneswar, June 1: Use of flashy laser lights, currently a craze among the people celebrating marriage and birthday functions, near Biju Patnaik International Airport, has invited attention of the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

During the flights' landing and take-off, especially in the evening and night hours, such uses of laser lights cause glare leading to difficulty in pilots' vision.

Airport director Sharad Kumar told The Telegraph: "Laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) sources are highly energised ones with qualities to cause serious glaring effects, especially for pilots as during landing and take-off, they should remain extremely alert. People staying at Bhimpur, Baramunda, Khandagiri, Gandamunda, Dharma Vihar, Jagmohan Nagar, Jagamara, Bhaktamadhu Nagar, Talabania, Pokhariput, Bhimtangi, Old Town, Sundarpada and Samantarapur are using such laser lights and indirectly causing problem in flight operations."

Kumar also said three airline operators - IndiGo, Air India and GoAir - had given complaints in writing to the AAI about difficulties faced by their pilots during flight operations in the evening. "Last April, we had written a letter to police to keep tabs on the laser lights and their use near the airport," Kumar said.

A former official of the state government's civil aviation wing, N. K. Patnaik, who is also a Pokhariput resident, said: "The laser lights were used earlier to help people locate the venue of the marriage or birthday functions. But now, the people have started using the laser lights during the procession or at the stage where a disk jockey is performing. This is creating additional problem for the flights when the processions are passing through the roads near the airport boundary."

Earlier, after receiving complaints from the AAI on the use of firecrackers near the flight path, the police had asked the inspectors in charge of four police stations to ensure a no-cracker zone in the area. However, not a single signage has yet been erected in the locality to make the public aware of such a zone. The signboards were also to aware people on the penalty amount for violation of norms.

Earlier in the year, the AAI officials had requested the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation to relocate nine telecom towers near the airport area - which were also causing problem for the low-flying trainer aircraft. "We had already asked the agencies concerned to relocate them and the job was done. Other telecom service providers were also asked to put aircraft warning lights on their towers," said deputy secretary of the corporation Subhranshu Mishra.