E-Paper
Rajasthan’s Barmer gets emergency landing facility on Satta-Gandhav stretch
The ELF was constructed in a time span of 19 months. The work for this ELF commenced in July 2019 and was completed in January 2021.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate an Emergency Landing Field (ELF) and also witness aircraft operations on the ELF on NH-925 on Thursday at Gandhav Bhakasar Section (NH-925) South of Barmer (Rajasthan).
This is the first time that a National Highway will be used for emergency landing of aircrafts of IAF, according to an official release.
NHAI had developed a 3.0 km section of the Satta-Gandhav stretch of NH-925A as an Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) for the Indian Air Force, which is part of a newly developed two lane paved shoulder of Gagariya-Bakhasar and Satta-Gandhav section having a total length of 196.97 km. The project will cost ₹765.52 crore under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.
This project will improve connectivity between villages of Barmer and Jalore districts located on the international border. The stretch being located in the western border area will facilitate the vigilance of the Indian Army.
Apart from this Emergency Landing Strip, three helipads (size 100 x 30 metres each) have been constructed in Kundanpura, Singhania and Bakhasar villages in this project according to the requirements of the Air Force/Indian Army, which will be the basis for strengthening the Indian Army and security network on the western international border of the country.
The ELF was constructed in a time span of 19 months. The work for this ELF commenced in July 2019 and was completed in January 2021. At normal times, the ELF will be used for smooth flow of road traffic. But during the operations of ELF for Indian Air Force, the service road will be used for flow of road traffic.
