Flight Safety at Risk: Beam Lights Still Active Near Pune Airport
Lohgaon, 10th March 2026: Just days after the Pune City Police issued a strict prohibitory order banning high-intensity beam lights near the airport, a flagrant violation of these safety norms has come to light.
Evidence obtained by Punekar News shows powerful beam lights cutting through the night sky on the Lohgaon-Wagholi road, a critical flight path area, raising serious questions about the enforcement of the law and the public’s commitment to safety.
The video footage, which captures high-intensity beams emanating from an event, underscores a dangerous trend: event organizers are prioritizing spectacle over the lives of hundreds of passengers. For pilots—both commercial and those of the Indian Air Force (IAF)—these lights are not just a nuisance; they are a deadly hazard. At critical stages of landing and takeoff, a single laser/beam strike can dazzle a pilot, leading to temporary blindness and potential loss of aircraft control.
The order issued on March 4, 2026, by Ranjan Kumar Sharma, Joint Commissioner of Police, was explicit. Under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, all such lights are banned within a 15 km radius of the Lohgaon Technical and Civil Airport.
However, the continued use of these lights around the airport suggests a worrying gap between administrative orders and ground-level enforcement. Despite the threat of prosecution under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the ‘celebratory’ culture of using massive sky-trackers remains unchecked in Pune’s suburbs.
The Critical Question
Why are these violations still occurring in plain sight of the authorities?
Lack of Patrolling: Is there a lack of proactive night patrolling by local police stations in high-risk zones like Kharadi, Wagholi, Lohgaon, Dhanori, Vishrantwadi and Yerwada?
Organizer Accountability: Are the permissions for these events being granted without clear warnings regarding the beam light/ laser light ban?
Citizen Apathy: Do residents and event planners fail to realize that their ‘grand’ celebration could cause a mid-air catastrophe?
