E-Paper
Dharamshala heliport gets FCA nod
Kangra deputy commissioner Nipun Jindal said the FCA clearance was needed to convert 25 kanals of forest land to non-forest purposes
Union environment ministry has given in-principal approval under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 (FCA) to the heliport proposed to be come up at Rakkar village in Dharamshala.
Kangra deputy commissioner Nipun Jindal said the FCA clearance was needed to convert 25 kanals of forest land to non-forest purposes.
“The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change granted the in-principal approval on August 28, which is also the stage-I clearance, after the local administration addressed the objection raised by the ministry on the project proposal,” he said.
He said the work will start soon after it gets stage-II or formal clearance under Forest Rights Act (FRA).
Jindal said the heliport will improve air connectivity and boost tourism in the area. He added that the region is prove to natural disaster and the heliport will also help in evacuations and rescue efforts.
He said the state government intends to build heliports at headquarters of all 12 districts. Kangra is set to get two heliports and one heliport is proposed at CSK-Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University, Palampur.
“The land in Palampur has already been transferred to the Tourism Department for development of heliport,” said Jindal.
He said Palampur heliport will be developed at a cost of ₹9 crore and a hanger is also proposed at the site.
The Dharamshala project would cost around ₹6 crore. Jindal said the government is also taking forward the process to expand Kangra Airport at Gaggal.
Under the expansion project, the airstrip at Gaggal will be increased from 1,372 meters to 3,010 meters.
