Declare Jagannath temple a ‘no-fly zone’, Odisha govt asks Centre

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Puri, June 1:

Concerned over the display of several aerial photographs of Odisha’s holiest temple in Puri in the social media recently, the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has requested the Union Civil Aviation ministry to declare the shrine as a ‘no-flying zone’.

Talking to the newsmen here on Saturday, chief administrator, SJTA, Arabinda Padhee said he has written a letter to the Union Civil Aviation ministry in this regard.

“I hope the Director General, Civil Aviation (DGCA) under the ministry will seriously take up the matter and issue a notification to this effect very soon,” he said.

Though the ministry has formulated a specific rule not to allow any aircraft to fly over any heritage site in the country, there has been frequent violation of this as some foreign tourists have managed to take aerial photographs of these sites as well as other sensitive and prohibited areas with the help of cameras fitted in quadcopters and private planes.

Such activities are a matter of serious concern, especially when there is apprehension among people over the safety and security of this holy Hindu shrine, SJTA sources said.

Following the display of the aerial photographs of the Konark Sun temple and Sri Jagannath temple in the social media, state home secretary Vipin Saxena in a statement on April 30 this year had said declaring the heritage sites as ‘no-fly zones’ was an urgent necessity.