Amid a surge in emergency landings and accidents involving helicopters on the Char Dham Yatra route, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday issued strict directives to regulate and ensure the safe operation of helicopter services in the state.
Heli services temporarily banned
Following the tragic helicopter crash near Kedarnath, helicopter operations in the Char Dham region have been banned until further notice. The ban has been imposed by Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UKADA) in coordination with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
This decision comes in the wake of increasing incidents and safety concerns, culminating in the recent crash that claimed seven lives. The ban will remain in effect until a thorough review of safety protocols is completed and further directives are issued.
CM orders strict SOPs
CM Dhami said that a strict Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) should be prepared for the operation of heli services in the state, in which a complete check of the technical condition of the helicopter and taking accurate weather information before the flight should be made mandatory.
The Chief Minister has directed the Chief Secretary to constitute a committee of technical experts, which will prepare the SOP after a thorough review of all the technical and safety aspects of heli operations. This committee will ensure that the operation of heli services is completely safe, transparent, and as per the prescribed standards.
CM directs to constitute committee to probe helicopter accidents
Along with this, the Chief Minister has also directed that the high-level committee constituted to investigate the helicopter accidents that have happened in the past in the state will thoroughly investigate every aspect of the earlier heli accidents as well as today's heli crash and submit its report. This committee will investigate the causes of each incident in depth and identify the guilty persons or institutions and recommend strict action against them.
The Chief Minister said that the importance of heli services in the state is immense for pilgrimage, disaster management and emergency services, hence safety will be given top priority in these.
Helicopter crashes near Kedarnath shrine
A tragic helicopter crash near the Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand early Sunday morning claimed the lives of all seven people on board, including six pilgrims and the pilot. The helicopter had taken off from Kedarnath en route to Guptkashi around 5:30 am when it crashed shortly after takeoff.
Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said that the accident took place above the forests of Gaurikund amid poor visibility due to bad weather. As per the news agency PTI sources, the chopper belonging to Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd crashed between Gaurikund and Trijuginarayan in Kedarghati and caught fire.
Earlier, on May 8, a helicopter going to Gangotri Dham crashed in Uttarkashi district in which six people were killed.
On June 7, a helicopter going to Kedarnath had to make an emergency landing on the road due to a technical fault soon after take-off in which the pilot was injured but the five devotees on board were rescued safely.
Also Read: Uttarakhand: Helicopter returning from Kedarnath shrine crash-lands due to bad weather, seven killed
Also Read: Air India warns of delays as DGCA orders mandatory safety checks on Boeing 787 fleet