Notices to Centre, State on No Fly Zone in Puri

he Orissa High Court on Thursday issued notices to the Centre and State Government over demands for declaring Lord Jagannath temple and Grand Road at Puri as ‘No Fly Zone’ during Nabakalebara festival.

The division bench of acting Chief Justice PK Mohanty and Justice B Mohanty directed the Union Civil Aviation Minister, Director General of Civil Aviation, State Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and Administrator of Shri Jagannath Temple to file their responses within two weeks.

The directions came on a PIL filed by advocate Nishikanta Mishra seeking the court’s intervention for declaring air space over the temple and its vicinity as ‘No Fly Zone’ due to enhanced security risks and terror threat during the festival.

The Jagannath temple is considered as one the holiest pilgrimage sites for Hindus and counted among the four sacred Dhams. While more than two lakh devotees and pilgrims visit the temple every day, the Nabakalebara festival is expected to draw around 50 lakh people.

With such a large gathering of people, the security risks are significantly heightened. Intelligence inputs have also warned of terror threat to the temple and huge congregation of devotees by terrorists or Naxals which necessitate the extraordinary measures.

While the DGCA had earlier rejected the Government’s requests for declaring the temple as ‘No Fly Zone’, the petitioner countered it stating that several vital installations and heritage sites in the country from Taj Mahal to Khajuraho have been provided with air space restrictions.

He also submitted that temporary restrictions have also been imposed during important events and ceremonies like this year’s Republic Day parade at Rajpath where US President Barack Obama was the chief guest and the parade at Shivaji Park, Mumbai.

Similar temporary restrictions should be issued during Nabakalebara for temple and adjacent areas, he stated.