IAF identified 28 emergency landing strips on Highways in 11 states: Nitin Gadkari in RS

The Indian Air Force has identified 28 emergency landing facilities (ELFs) on Highways across 11 states, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari informed in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

The Ministry, giving a statewise break-up of the ELFs informed in a statement, ''There are 5 ELFs in Assam, 4 in West bengal, 3 each in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan, two each in Bihar, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Tamil Nadu and 1 each in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Apart from Military Aircraft, Civilian aircrafts can also be landed on these strips. In September 2021, the emergency landing strip at the Satta-Gandhav sector on NH 925, in the Barmer district of Rajasthan was inaugurated by Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari.''

Recent inaugurations of Emergency Landing Strips 

In November 2021, during the launch of the 340-km long Purvanchal Expressway, PM Modi had landed aboard the C-130J Super Hercules on the highway, where the Mirage 2000, an AN-32 turboprop and a Sukhoi-30 landing on the highway about 100 km from state capital Lucknow, was also witnessed. According to the report, the concept was first introduced in Germany during World War-2.

Informing about the felling of trees for National Highway projects, Gadkari stated that as a policy decision, the barest minimum number of trees are felled in the marginal strip of land for implementation of National Highways Projects and no major negative impact has been reported so far after the implementation of the projects. 

"There might be marginal positive impact on environment as more trees are planted in lieu of felled trees. The ministry has also taken a decision to utilise technology and expertise to transplant tree in place of felling them. This work is in progress," the Minister added.

The Road Transport and Highways Minister on March 30 reached the Parliament in a hydrogen-based fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). He appealed to promote the environment-friendly Hydrogen car and its benefits to support a Hydrogen-based Society in India. Sharing the plans for a Hydrogen-based mobility, Union Minister Gadkari said, "Green Hydrogen will be manufactured in India, Green Hydrogen refuelling stations will be established generating sustainable employment opportunities in the country. He said that India will soon become Green Hydrogen exporting country."

Image: PTI