Uttarakhand

• 26 May 2022

31 New Helipads to Be Built in Uttarakhand

Why in News?

• On May 25, 2022, Civil Aviation Secretary Dilip Jawalkar said that preparations are being made to construct new helipads at 31 locations to expand the heli services with a view to attract tourists to the state.

Key Points

• These helipads will be built in Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh and Almora districts. The cost of constructing the helipad will be borne by the state government itself.
• The state tourism department has directed the district collectors to identify land for helipads near famous tourist spots of their districts so that these lands can be acquired at the earliest and helipads can be constructed and the helipads can be operated here.
• Heli services are being operated from Dehradun to Chinyalisaur, Dehradun to Gauchar, Dehradun to Tehri, Dehradun to Srinagar, Dehradun to Almora and Haldwani to Pithoragarh under the UDAN scheme.
• Heli services are being operated from Dehradun to Kedarnath and from various places in Chamoli districts to Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib.
• It is worth mentioning that Uttarakhand is full of natural beauty. Somewhere the high mountains and somewhere the velvet bugyals attract the tourists towards them. Here the natural lakes formed between the remote mountains are the center of attraction of tourists as well as of mythological importance.
• The government's effort is to build helipads around such tourist places so that tourists can reach these places through heli services and they have to walk at least on foot. Along with this, they will also be able to see the beauty of snow-laden hills from the sky.
• The state government plans to start heli services at these places through private heli companies. This will not only give revenue to the government, but it will also facilitate the tourists.
• Uttarakhand is also a disaster-sensitive state. Helicopters are used in relief and rescue operations during disasters. The helipads built at the new locations will also prove to be crucial for relief and rescue operations during the disaster.