3 days before Hisar airport opening by PM, fire during ‘animal capture op’ sparks row

Hisar: Barely three days before the scheduled inauguration of Hisar airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14, the occurrence of a fire inside the Hisar Airport area during a forest department operation to capture wild animals has sparked a controversy. All-India Jeev Raksha Bishnoi Sabha has levelled serious allegations against the administration and demanded a high-level investigation into the blaze.
Advocate Chandra Singh Saharan, district president of the Sabha, voiced suspicion that the officials had deliberately set off the fire to drive away the animals. He claimed the blaze resulted in the death of hundreds of wild animals and caused extensive damage to trees, plants, and local vegetation.
Following reports about the sighting of wild animals in the airport perimeter, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini had on April 8 directed the officials to sanitise the entire premises to make it free of wildlife.
"It is unacceptable that a fire of unknown origin erupted at a location set to be visited by the PM. This not only points to administrative negligence but also raises serious concerns about the security arrangements," said Saharan.
The Sabha also said that it had offered to assist in the rescue operation free of cost but was never contacted by the authorities.
The issue came to light after a Nilgai was spotted within the airport complex ahead of the trial landing on March 28, raising questions about the wildflife clearance issued by the department.
Saharan emphasized that while the inauguration of Haryana's first airport by the PM is a moment of pride, "sacrificing wildlife and green cover for the success of a political program is completely unjustifiable".
Drawing a parallel with past incidents, he likened the fire to the controversial destruction of forest land in Hyderabad, which drew sharp criticism from the Supreme Court. He urged the PM the Haryana CM, and senior officials to ensure that the real cause of the fire is investigated and made public.
Storm topples tent for PM rally
Hisar: A massive tent erected near Hisar airport for Prime Minister Narender Modi's scheduled rally on April 14 collapsed on Friday afternoon following a gusty winds accompanied by rain. The structure, meant to accommodate around 50,000 people, was being readied for the PM's rally after the inauguration of Hisar Airport and the Hisar-Ayodhya flight. Over 15,000 chairs had already been placed at the venue when the weather suddenly turned bad.