*Hurdles persist in construction of new helipad
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 8: Though six months have lapsed since the tragic helicopter crash took place at the base camp of Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has yet not come up with the inquiry report and recommendations, which otherwise were imperative so as to avoid recurrence of such accidents.
Soon after the helicopter crash on November 23, 2015 which claimed lives of seven persons including pilot of Himalayan Heli Services Pvt Ltd, Directorate General of Civil Aviation ordered an inquiry to find out the reasons for the tragedy although the preliminary investigations revealed that a vulture had hit the chopper thus leading to the crash.
On the very next date (November 24, 2015), Directorate General of Civil Aviation deputed a team of Aircraft Accident Investigating Bureau (AAIB), which visited the crash spot and collected samples besides taking relevant information from the Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board and officials of Himalayan Heli Services Pvt Ltd.
The State Government and Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board were assured at that time that the report will be submitted shortly along with the recommendations so that such accidents don’t recur. Thereafter, a three member committee headed by Yash Pal, former Deputy General Manager (Maintenance) of Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited was constituted in the month of January this year for investigating the chopper crash.
“It was announced during the formulation of this committee that inquiry will be completed and report submitted within a period of six months. But till date neither State Government has received the copy of the inquiry report nor Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board, which is having supervisory control over the helicopter service to the cave shrine”, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
“We are still awaiting report from the DGCA”, said an officer of Shrine Board on the condition of anonymity, adding “although the helicopter service providers are following the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) but DGCA report and recommendations would have certainly helped in further improvement”.
“Since DGCA is the agency of the Government of India, the Shrine Board as well as State Government cannot exert pressure for expeditious completion of inquiry”, sources said, adding “in such a situation they are just waiting for the communication from the DGCA about completion of probe”.
Meanwhile, hurdles continued to persist in shifting of helipad from present place to Hut Panchayat along Katra-Reasi road, which has already been approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
“Recently, some people approached the High Court against the move of the Shrine Board to acquire land in Hut Panchayat at the behest of some persons”, sources said, adding “the Shrine Board is going to apprise the High Court about the necessity of shifting the helipad to vast area in Hut Panchayat, which is not an inhabited area”.
The Shrine Board will also bring to the notice of High Court that shifting of helipad is imperative keeping in view inconvenience to the people of the holy town in the shape of noise pollution. Moreover, in the inhabited area there are more chances of birds hitting the helicopters in comparison to isolated place in Hut Panchayat, sources further said.
“No doubt all out efforts are being made to ensure that there is no bird activity in and around helipad at Serli but due to the failure of the Urban Local Bodies department to come up with solid waste management project for the holy town of Katra the possibility of birds activity due to littering of garbage even in nearby areas cannot be ruled out”, sources said, adding “in such a situation shifting helipad to any other place is the only alternative”.
It is pertinent to mention here that Governor N N Vohra, who is also the Chairman of Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board, is repeatedly laying thrust on expeditious shifting of helipad from Katra town but impediments continue to prevail. “The Deputy Commissioner Reasi should start interactions with the owners of the land at Hut to resolve the issue as delay in shifting of helipad is neither in the interest of aviation companies and travelers nor the people of Katra town”, sources stressed.
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